The Bee Hunters
by Kikifoo
Summary: The following are the four most important rules for hunting bees and nabbing their delicious honey. 1.) Never get distracted- they just whiz right by you and you miss your chance. 2.) Persist- even if it's hard or seemingly impossible. 3.) Prepare and expect to be stung- even if you're careful. 4.) Lastly, enjoy what your effort made possible- even if you feel unworthy. S
1. The Sticky Thief

**OVERALL STORY WARNINGS: SPOILERS, swearing, violence, and some implications of adult themes will be present! :3**

(***Sumia/Gaius, Chrom/Avatar(Rorie), and more!)

***Hey-o everyone! How're your playthroughs of Fire Emblem Awakening going? I've run through mine once so far and started a new file, but I'm working on grabbing up as many supports between people as I can before I progress with the new file! :) I have to say, that I am a huge supporter of Sumia and Gaius...:'3**

***It's not as if I don't think Su's other supports like with HENRY aren't adorable, or that Gaius's supports with other girls like Olivia aren't super cute because I really love them, too, but... I just think Sumia and Gaius are perfect for each other. So this story is kind of like a capsule for all of their encounters with one another, (and others of course! ;), their supports, the love that flourishes between them (So it might get kinda fluffy sometimes), and their struggles. **

***It is a dual perspective story, but for everyone's sake, it's pretty clean cut! Gaius's chapters will be the odd numbered chapters, and Sumia will have the even ones! :)**

***I really hope you enjoy the read!***

**~*Thank you!*~**

* * *

_**The Bee Hunters**_

**Chapter One: The Sticky Thief**

People aren't really people; they're savages. In my line of work, you get to be reminded of that little nugget on a regular basis.

We cut people up and just watch 'em bleed like they were part of some circus show, and all just for a little spending money. I mean, I figure you've gotta be pretty desperate if you'd be willing to hack your friends up for earnings that you spend on cheap harlots, anyway.

Tonight at the base was rough. This mission was tying everyone's smallclothes in a knot. Clyde was preaching on and on about respecting our employers, and how I had a knack for pissin' 'em off. He wanted that to stop, but I just shrugged and he didn't like that. The thing of it was that they never paid us enough in my opinion. This guy was no exception. He thought since he was some sort of big cheese or whatever that he was exempt from a proper payment. Our group was the best around, but just drooled over him. But when you're a thief for as long as I am and you get caught for this junk, the repercussions aren't a cake walk.

I spent quite a few years in the clink after blundering a personal mission for a friend, Thom, and it wasn't as easy to endure as everyone told me it was. They brand you with burning irons and treat you like a rabid canine and feed you mush until you throw it all up and can't move. They hit you and scream and make you work and let you sleep for three whole hours a night before they run by and smash their dishware against your bars. And then they expect you to be in a good mood. I always tried to be in one, but I was the only one and sick more often than not. Pretty sure I was gonna keel in there, but I made it. Personally, if those are the stakes, I'd like a little more incentive.

Me and Thom were the only savvy thieves in our group, and even he'd been leaning more towards killing lately. This left me to do double the work for the same amount of pay. I tried to be a nice guy, but having some tall, lanky, gray-skinned, freaky-looking guy waltz in, screw with the order of things here and pay us less than average was a little too nice for my tastes.

Since he came around and acted like he owned the joint, I thought it was my place to knock him down a peg. All that seemed to do was bring the wrath down on me.

Earlier he had us line up and questioned us about our specialties. Told us he knew one of us was a thief and that was it, but that he wanted to give a guess at who it was. I wondered why it mattered, but thought it must've had something to do with formations and whatnot. After a few laps back and forth, he stopped in front of me. He smelled like old garlic...

"You." He said.

"Me?"

"I have decided that you must be the thief." He paused. "You're the only one who does not don facial scars."

"Just pretty good at avoiding skirmishes." I responded simply.

"So I am correct."

"If I tell you, will you give me the rest of those bonbons I saw you eating earlier?"

"Gaius!" Clyde screamed.

"Okay, then maybe you'd be willing to buy me my own? The fancy ones? The things are small but they cost-"

"_GAIUS_!" The man looked puzzled, but held a hand up to silence Clyde. He smiled, and it was not the prettiest thing. I think it may have been more alarming than anything. He took a step closer to me and I wanted to take a step back, but fought myself not to.

"Will you assist us, tomorrow, thief?" He asked, and the room was silent. He gave me a look when I didn't answer and chewed my sucker instead. He raised an eyebrow and lifted his hand to my face. Then he tried to pluck it out of my mouth! Uncle Benji said that I should use my candies to shut my trap in times that called for it; namely, situations with interrogations. It just became habit after a while. Not to mention, I loved my candy. No one was allowed to take it from me. No one. So I clenched my jaw.

He tried to pull, and I watched his face twist and contort into one full of fury before he gave up and launched an open palm into my face instead. The sucker was almost jammed clear down my throat and I choked and coughed and sputtered and nearly upchucked. I managed to pull it out before I did and caught my breath enough to give him a shaky reply.

"Yup." I wanted to say something else, but... I felt my nose drip, too. Damn nosebleeds.

"Very good, thief." He eyed me, sneered, gave Clyde a nod, and strode across the room to the exit; his posse following closely behind.

The room was quiet for a bit longer until everyone broke from the line and carried on. Thom approached me with a smile and I glanced over to see Clyde fuming against the wall next to the door leading outside.

"He got ya good, didn't he?" He smirked. "Weird feller."

"Freaky twat." I coughed and wiped my nose. The sucker didn't taste as good anymore. I needed a tart; I had some at home.

"So you're gonna come tomorrow, then?"

"Guess so. I'm not a job-skipper."

"Even if the employer tries to choke you with your own candy?"

"At least that kind of death would be sweet."

"Er, gotta run!" He said suddenly and then I knew why. After all, Clyde wasn't about to just sit there and let me socialize.

"Nice stunt you pulled there, Gaius." He gave me a fake smile that I knew'd turn into a huge frown.

"Enjoyed that, did you?" I asked.

"You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days." The twisted smirk was still there as he wandered closer to me until he wasn't even an arms length away.

The area was about empty now, which wasn't really the best if I ended up annoying boss-man to the point of no return. On top of picking locks, that was my other specialty.

"Where's your flavor, Boss?" I asked him with a crooked grin until he clutched my collar and forced me into the wall behind me. I smacked my head and almost choked on my sucker again. His breath was heaving and his face was close. "H-he's a-"

"I don't care _what_ he is- he's paying for you and your uncle's asses to eat this week. So shut your mouth before I stitch it up myself." He growled. There was that frown.

"I make us more money than he's-"

"Gaius," He whispered. A gloved hand moved to my face and clenched it tightly. He was way closer than I felt comfortable with. "You got one job to do tomorrow. One job."

"What is everyone else doing-"

"That doesn't _ma-tter_." He said. "Just one job."

I tried to struggle against him, but figured he was in a rancid mood today and he'd probably stick me if I pushed him too much. "If you screw it up, Gods help you."

"So if I do it good, do I get to bring _another_ slice of bread home to uncle B?" I chuckled at my own sarcasm, but groaned and grimaced when he gripped my hair and wrenched my head back.

"I think you like this." He said. "I think you like making me mad." I heard him unsheathe the knife connected to his thigh and I gripped his face and shoved him away before he could use it, attempting to make my escape. Before I could though, he recovered quickly and caught my cloak. I tore out of the cloth, but felt the edge of his blade slide by my back and his other hand grip my shirt collar before I could leave. He yanked me backwards and I landed on my ass just beneath him, facing the rest of the room. I was about to leap up, but he gripped my chin and guided it upwards before I could. The cold steel of his dagger was pressed against my throat so I just sat there, breathing heavily.

"Okay, okay! Crivens, Boss." I nearly shouted.

"You'll be here tomorrow morning, Gaius." He said. He was doing that feral eye thing; they were wide and wild. "You'll be ready to open that vault and get that treasure for us, Gaius." He nodded and I felt more pressure on my neck. "Right, Gaius? Tell me, 'yes boss.' Go on, tell me."

I just stared at him like he was drunk and he nodded my head for me.

"Good."

**. . . . .**

I was being followed on my way home, and that'd never happened before. Probably Kasper. The prick.

They only did that kinda thing to people they didn't trust, but the truth of the matter was, I was the only one acting normal. Clyde had always been a pretty easy-going guy; I grew up with him and he laughed at my jokes, not threatened to cut my throat; even if it was in front of our employer. In fact, there wasn't a time that he'd ever drawn his blade on me. Ever since Uncle Benji nabbed me from the streets when I was a lad and introduced me to the guy and the group, I was always praised for my 'talent' and apparent knack for thievery. Made me wonder if maybe the employer was paying him a bit more than he let on so his dedication to him surpassed his dedication to me.

Whatever the reason, I guess I had to watch myself and just do my job. It almost seemed time to bail... Ha. Maybe they did have a reason to watch me after all.

It was probably around midnight by the time I shook Kasper and headed home. Benji was still awake, sitting on a wooden chair in front of the window facing opposite the front door, gnawing on a sucker stick.

"Hey-o Bob." I said. He didn't look at me, but he sighed.

"Tracking you, now, eh?" He said. He always knew. "Who'd you piss off today? Your employer, again?"

"Isn't it passed your bedtime?"

"Takin' that as a yes." He turned towards me and stared hard. "Gaius-"

"Listen, Bob. I can explain this better than it's coming off-"

"No you listen, Gaius." He interrupted. His face was stern, but softened when he looked me over. "You remember when you were ten and I told you about my son and how he was like the little baby bird that flew from the nest?"

"Yep."

"I think it's about time for you to fly from the nest, too. Not for my benefit, but for yours." I wasn't really sure how to reply. He wanted me out... I wasn't sure where I'd go, but-

"You're getting into a lot of trouble lately and it's not safe for you here anymore."

"So you'd rather have me implore on the streets, then?" I blurted out, but regained my composure instantly afterward. "Nah, it's fine. I'm twenty. I oughta go."

"This ain't about age, Gaius. I just don't want them to mark your head, find ya and kill you dead."

"I understand, but... They won't. Soon as this employer's job is done, they'll fix themselves."

He didn't say anything, but he looked to the floor. "Why do they got Kasper on your ass?"

"Kasper's a dunce."

"He's always had his eyes on you. Don't like you." He said. "Why would they tail you? What did you say today?"

"Nil."

"Don't lie. You badmouth someone? Complaining?"

"I told 'em I'd be there tomorrow for the job. Clyde went on a frenzy and drew on me. Not a big deal."

His eyes widened and he put a hand on his head.

"Gaius, get out of there."

"But-"

"Don't go tomorrow; pack your things tonight, and be ready to fly in the morning."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Unless you wanna go in and get yourself skinned, yes."

"What-"

"If Clyde's drawing his weapon on you, you're on his blacklist."

"It's not Clyde, the _employer's_ a nut! He's supposedly some important guy so he's got everyone wrapped around his ugly little-"

"Wait," Bob's face wrinkled, but he straightened. "I think I understand now."

He sat for a moment longer, silent and thinking, before he got up and approached me.

"Y'know what you do?" He asked suddenly.

"Nope."

"You go in tomorrow." He said, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You got a plan, or...-"

"Go tomorrow and if it looks suspicious, dip out. If it seems all right, dip out anyway. I don't trust your judgments. But if..." He paused.

"...If there happens to be any interventionists, you tag along with them."

"This isn't a parade, Bob. No one knows about-"

"Trust me. With where you're going, and what you're doing, people _will_ intervene." He said. " And I'd guess they'd be more than happy to recruit a guy with your skill set. Pay a lot for ya, too."

"You think so?" I ignored the fact that I had no clue about where or what we were going or doing. A lot of times, that was just how things played out.

"I know so." He said. "Good enough plan for your tastes?"

"A little bland, but I think I can manage."

I wasn't absolutely convinced they were aiming to off me, but Uncle Benji was. And he knew things. I was never really sure how, but he did. I did know, though, that I was being left out of the meetings for this "important" mission, knew almost nothing about it, was confronted with an entire group of brainsick puppies, and there was always a reason.

"Oh, and Gaius,"

"Yeah?"

"Don't fight to flee tomorrow,"

"Er... Oookay...?"

"Fight to kill."

* * *

**This and the next chapter take place just prior to the game events in Chapter Six: The Foreseer!**

**Just an FYI- The tall freaky looking guy is Validar.**

**AND BOB IS HIS UNCLE BENJI. It's just another one of his nicknames! ;P**

**Since we don't really get an idea about Gaius and his time before those events play out, I thought I'd put a little light on them and give him a bit of solid backstory! I tried to incorporate things he says in supports as far as words and hints at his life before the Shepherds in this, so I hope I conveyed him to your liking! 3 I adore Gaius and wouldn't want to ruin him! ;w; If he does seem a bit off, just know he'll Gaius it up more when he joins with the Shepherds! ;)**

**Next we've got _The Clumsy Shepherd, _Sumia! :)  
**

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and are eager for the next!**

**Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated; they're like presents to me! If you've got the time and have questions about anything at all, please feel free to leave one, or PM me! I'm always excited to meet new peeps! :D**

**~*Have a great day/night!*~**

***Thanks again!***


	2. The Clumsy Shepherd

**Hey guys! I'm really sorry for the delay! I've had most of this chapter written for a while, bu I got hit with a hectic spring break and then the start of a new quarter, so it's been a little bit crazy for me! Not to mention, Majora's Mask has claimed my attention recently! **

**All crummy excuses aside, I'm really excited about the new followers and reviewers of this story so far! :3 _Thank you so much_ for taking the time to read and leave reviews, and for having hope that this story will keep your interest! :) I can't tell you how much I appreciate your kind words and encouragement,**

**~*Sasuga Tsuin, Strawberry Eggs, Mr-Watch, Cormag Ravenstaff, and Gunlord500!*~**

**Anyway, I'll let you get to it! Onward to Sumia, The Clumsy Shepherds' chapter! :)**

**~*Thank you, and happy reading!*~**

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Clumsy Shepherd**

You can learn a lot about this world from a Pegasus's back. I see new things every day. The most beautiful things.

Bears protecting their young, flowers blooming in the most barren of places, the clouds drifting right on by; having surroundings like these sometimes made me feel like I was in a book of my own, but I could only dream. If I were, I would be the most perfect of people, like Cory, or Chrom, or Rorie or Frederick or Sully or Stahl, or... Well, anyone in the Shepherds, really.

But I'm not.

I would excel at everything I attempted, be brave and powerful, protect people flawlessly, look beautiful with shiny, flowing hair, help with things without ruining them, and still have time to make everyone adore me and fall in love and start a family and live happily until the end. I've heard that some people might think that's kinda boring, but I don't really see why. When you live to trip and break all of the dishware in camp, you really can't think being different than you are would hurt all that much.

I always admired Cory for being like the heroines in the books I'd read. She was so strong, confident and put together. Not to mention, she was gorgeous and everyone liked her. I wanted to be like that, but whenever someone started to speak to me and things went well, I'd get giddy and nervous and mess something up. Pouring food on them was common, and so was falling into them and forcing us both into a puddle of mud. I was especially proficient at tripping while we talked and knocking us both over... and breaking dishes. For the most part, I just made things... awkward. It was bearable, and no one really harbored any hatreds I didn't think, so maybe it was okay.

It was most embarrassing in front of Chrom, though. I liked him a lot and wanted him to think I was capable; someone he didn't have to babysit. It seemed like he felt that way, but while I thought I found myself getting better, he always had things to remind me to do. It was like each time I focused too much on something, I'd forget another. Almost like a curse... Maybe... Maybe I was cursed...?

Er, anyway, Chrom was much too nice to me. I remember when I told him he was like James, from _The Nightdancers_, because he was the epitome of heroism, too. He just laughed and thanked me, but I knew it was weird. He never criticized me for it though and for little things like that, I was grateful. The fact was, I was pretty sure that I wasn't really on his mind like he was on mine. Our tactician, Rorie, was his brains' occupation as of late. It didn't really strike me as strange, but I did get a bit envious sometimes. Every once in a while, we got time together to just briefly catch up, but more often than not, something came up in the middle of it.

I wasn't too critical of situations like that because I knew whatever the cause was probably more entertaining for him anyway, and definitely more productive. When it was with Rorie, I _knew_ it was productive. She was so smart and had led us to victory multiple times already. I was so thankful for her help in the affairs we've been presented with so far, so any time with her was time well-spent. Not only that, but she was really pretty and strong and talented and caring; the perfect kind of person for Chrom. They got along really well and could talk a lot about everything together, even in the short time she'd been a part of our group. It was okay, though. It just reminded me that in order for me to find my Chrom, I had to change a bit. And maaaaybe get a little prettier. And stronger. And um... Nevermind.

I wondered if any of my musings had to do with the fact that I was sitting at one of the upper floors of the castle, gazing out the window for any sign of Rorie and Chrom, who'd both gone on a walk around the castle courtyard together. That was about an hour ago and they hadn't come into my range of sight yet. The sun was lingering in the sky and casting the prettiest shades of pink and orange; definitely one of those beauties I spoke of, earlier. It reminded me of a painting I once saw in the market. It bore a young boy sleeping under a tree, with rabbits sniffing at his shoes and squirrels in the branches. In the background was the sunset. I stared at it for a long time until Lissa grabbed my arm and yanked me along. We bought a few pretty hair accessories that day.

"Sumiaaa!" I heard Sully's voice ring out from around one of the gray walls. "There ya are! I've been searching high and low for you."

"Sully! How're you doing?" I chimed, tearing away from the scenery and giving her my attention. She looked like she was feeling pretty rowdy.

"Eh, can't complain. Although Ruffles won't leave me the hell alone. Like flies on feces, that one." She approached me with a daring grin, kinda like the ones that always followed with-

"So, you ready to spar it up with me again?" I felt a little weak in the knees, but I supposed giving it a go wouldn't kill me. Then again, sparring with Sully could present who knew how many bruises... Ah well. More to the collection.

"Stahl's in on it, too, if you're wondering." She added, and raised her eyebrows eagerly. "And Vaike, but he doesn't count."

Ha!

"Sure, that sounds... fun!"

"Great! C'mon!" She said, grabbing my arm and pulling me from my seat. We rushed out of the room, both laughing. We passed Miriel, who was nose deep in a book in a cushioned seat across from Kellam who was staring at the floor, keeping in mind that she probably didn't notice him. I almost wished I could be there in her spot, but I figured it'd be best to try and be as useful as possible and this practice would help. Not to mention, coming to some harm would help remind me that it was no fun to do so, so hopefully I'd up my game.

We shifted from jogging, to speed walking to halted in a matter of a few moments, probably because we'd turned so many corners that we ended up kinda lost.

"Blast this damned castle." She cursed. "I thought I was going the right way..." She shrugged and her grip on my arm loosened. "Guess not."

We ended up in a huge room that was almost pure white, with red carpeting and held giant bay windows lining the left wall from where we entered. There were doors leading in every other direction.

I noticed a familiar hallway straight ahead, and thought maybe we should try there. I was hoping I didn't recognize it because we'd run through there countless times within the last few minutes already, but I guessed it couldn't hurt to try.

"How about this way?" I suggested, and grabbed her hand. I started going, but she didn't move.

"We were just there, you screwball!" She chuckled, and we started towards the hallway to the north, our right. It looked like a grand entranceway because of the pretty carvings on the frame above it. Did all of the doors have those? We rushed through and turned a few more corners until we sighed and slowed our pace to a walk again.

"Staiiirs?" I called, hoping I didn't disturb anyone. "Staaairs! Where are you?"

"There!" Sully shouted, pointing to our right. I couldn't believe we missed them. They were a huge set of steps that anyone could see from a mile away but us. At least spending a little bit of time with Sully that didn't involve sparring was nice. We tore to the top of the stairs and I was almost dragged down all them; at least five floors worth. I tried to buffer the inevitable fall when we reached the bottom by grabbing ahold of the railing connected to the wall, but I biffed it anyway. Actually, her tight grip on my hand was enough to limit the fall to just my knees. Maybe her death grip wasn't so bad!

"Oh geesh, Su! You've gotta stop butterin' your boots before you put them on!" She said, pulling me to my feet. "Y'all right?"

"Mhm," I replied with a smile. "Thanks, Sully!"

"Har, of course you are. But now that I'm sure of where we are, we'd better get going again. Try and keep up!" She said, and we sped off again. We passed through a few massive rooms and turned a few corners and I could smell the outside from where we were. My lungs were heaving by the time we exited the castle to the western courtyard where Stahl was sprawled out on the ground and Vaike was chopping at the crisp spring air. Lon'qu was also out here, just wiping his blade and I could see Ricken in the distance, perched under a tree, flipping through the pages of one of his tomes. The sun was still sinking and it was the perfect temperature to attain some more injuries... er, practice.

"Finally, Sully! Ol' Teach thought you bailed on us!"

"Did you get lost?" Stahl grinned, picking his sweaty, tousled head up from the grassy ground. He gave us a understanding look, even though I knew Stahl never accidentally put himself anywhere he didn't want to be.

"Doesn't matter; we're here now." Sully replied, letting go of my hand and stepping towards them. She grabbed the wooden lance from the grass and pointed it at Stahl, who sat up almost instantly.

"Vaike and I already went a couple, so-"

"So you're too chicken to take us?"

"More like too tired!" He said, sheepishly. "And starving..."

"Yeah, you sprinted all the way over here from over _there_!" Vaike laughed and pointed to an area a fair distance away; the other side of the courtyard. "'Course you're tired."

"Doesn't hurt to use all of your terrain in a fight, right?" Stahl chuckled. "I was pretending to be on my horse to make the fight more fair!"

"Well, whatever you were doing, Teach taught you a lesson." Vaike said, but instantly his beaming face dropped.

"Er..." His eyes darted to and fro... If I didn't know any better... "Um... Where's my-"

"Don't tell me you lost your damn ax again." Sully said sternly. She closed her eyes, and pressed her lips into a firm line. I think we all knew what was coming: volcanic Sully eruption! I felt a little bad for Vaike, but I guessed that he was probably used to this by now. And... Vaike was a character so it was kinda funny. I just hoped that didn't make me a bad person.

"No! Naw! Of course not!" He shouted and waved his hands dismissively. Vaike was the best member in the Shepherds not only at losing his possessions, but also at doing so at the most inopportune times. It didn't look like there was another lance laying around, either, so maybe our spar session would be put on hold.

"You KNEW we were supposed to spar, Bastard!"

"I know where it is!" He paused and glanced quickly around. "But it just might not be where I think it is..."

"That's it!" She yelled and grinned maliciously. Vaike was in for it, that was for sure!

"C'mere then, Vaike! Sully'll teach YOU a lesson!" Sully stormed towards him with the blunt side of the lance aimed at him, and he just ran away. Pretty soon, they were screaming and hollering all around the courtyard! Stahl and I just looked at each other until his olive eyes drifted towards a patch of fluffy white flowers near the big rock that sat across the way.

"Are you feeling like doing a flower fortune or two for me, Su?" He asked, dragging himself to his feet. I loved doing flower fortunes and Stahl was always so good at making me feel like I wasn't the only weirdo who used flower petals to feel more confident about the future. Although, I hadn't quite figured out if it was just to be nice, or if he actually used them for reassurance. I didn't think he should have any doubts in himself, but I wasn't one to judge.

"Of course! That sounds great." I laughed and nodded.

"I appreciate it. Maybe afterward we can go grab up a few snacks; I really am pretty hungry." He gave me a nice smile, came over, linked arms with me, and we walked to the flowers. I felt my face catch fire and I hoped it wasn't too noticeable.

"S-sure...!"

"I'm a little worried about my contribution to the Shepherds, you know?" He said, and we sat again. It looked like Vaike had tripped over something near where Lon'qu was sitting and I could hear Sully just snort.

"I think you do a great job, already." I told him, but picked a flower just in case. "What do you think you're not doing?"

"Do you, really? I'm glad to hear that." He paused. "And I'm not sure, but I think it may have to do with my ferocity in battle."

"Ferocity..." I supposed I could see where he was coming from, but I could relate, really. I bet his missing intensity wasn't because he got distracted easily, though; he was like a kitten outside of fights, so maybe it was tough to transform into a lion for combat.

"Yeah," He smiled, and gazed up at the sky. "I suppose I just wonder if I'll be able to make necessary adjustments before a time comes that we desperately need it."

"I don't think you should worry too much about that," I said with a smile. "But if you need some more reassurance, hopefully the flower fortunes help!"

He chuckled and leaned back against the rock behind us. "I'm sure they will."

I started right after that, thinking about how the stars that were appearing were like diamonds in the sky. "Stahl achieves ferocity," I plucked the first petal off and he sat up again. I could hear his stomach growl and I laughed.

"Maybe we should postpone the fortune so you can go and eat?" I suggested, and he laughed too, but shook his head. I knew that was hard to do; Stahl loved food.

"As much as I'd love to eat, It'd be selfish of me to satisfy my hunger when I'm trying to figure out something that could impact the Shepherds." He said. "But thank you, Su."

"There's no reason to thank me- Stahl stays the same." The next petal came off. I gave him a playful look and his smile just widened.

"Stahl achieves ferocity," I pulled the next one. And the next and the one after that, and thirteen others. We came to the conclusion that he would be able to achieve the level of ferocity he was aiming for. I was so thankful and relieved that was the case, just because it was always tough to get one that did the opposite of what we wanted. But I knew Stahl could do whatever he set his mind to.

"That's great news!" He looked so happy, and that was an awesome feeling. "Thank you, Sumia. I'm really glad you did this for me."

He stood and reached for my hand to help me up, but when I reached for it and started to stand, I missed, grabbed nothing, and fell on my butt. I guessed maybe this was when my stupid would kick in...

"Oh, are you alright?" Stahl's glee melted away and a look of concern took place. Instead of offering his hand, he grabbed my arm and gently pulled me to my feet.

"Er, yeah, I'm okay." I mumbled. "S-sorry!"

"Don't be! And that's good." He said. I noticed by now, the sun and the pretty dusk had come and gone as well, leaving us in the courtyard only faintly lit by the lights in the castle. Sully and Vaike retired to one of the short walls encasing some garden flowers near the entrance to the palace and both Lon'qu and Ricken had already gone inside. I wasn't sure how long ago, but they weren't out here anymore. I felt some goosebumps slide up my arms at the chill the night air emitted and shivered. Stahl seemed to notice.

"We should go inside and get warm."

It struck me as odd though, despite the pretty outdoors, that I couldn't hear any bugs chirping or frogs croaking.

"Yeah, you're probably-" At that moment, a blaring noise slammed into my ears from inside. It was so loud, it rattled my heart in my chest. It sounded and felt like an explosion.

"Ah!" Stahl shouted and threw his vision towards the building. Sully yelled for us to hurry and tore off with Vaike into the castle. Stahl gripped my arm, and we sprinted in the same direction. I nearly tripped over the lance Sully had left in the grass, but Stahl caught me.

"Grab that," He ordered, so I did as quickly as I could and we continued into the entranceway. Sully and Vaike were farther down the hallway to the left, waiting impatiently for us. My stomach throbbed and twisted and flopped in the surprise, but also in the anticipation. I was so afraid that no one was okay and-

"Where should we go?!" Vaike screamed. Most of the racket from the what I thought was an explosion had died down, but I heard an endless amount of shouting.

"Towards Emmeryn's quarters!" Stahl replied.

"What about Lissa and the Captain?!" I yelled. Chrom was with Rorie, but...

"Chrom'll be fine and I'm sure Lissa's not alone." Sully said quickly. "Now let's go!"

In that instant, an arrow whizzed right by Vaike's hair from an unknown source.

"Oh hell naw." He said irritably, whipping his head back and forth.

"We don't have time, Vaike. We'll get them back later." Stahl said, and instead of finding where the arrow originated, we ran off towards the staircase Sully and I had come from earlier.

"What about our weapons?" I asked, already feeling my lungs heave.

"There's gotta be a storage closet around here, somewhere!" Sully said, and we sped up the stairs as quickly as our legs would allow.

I felt Stahl's hold on my arm tighten until we reached the top, finally, and a shadowy, cloaked man to our immediate left shook his grip. The man leaped at Stahl with a short shining blade, but thank the gods he caught the man's arm before he could make any contact with him. I almost screamed, but Sully yanked me to the side and I watched Vaike fly passed us to aid Stahl. I simply stood there for a few moments, just long enough to keep in mind that I was doing absolutely nothing to help, and long enough to watch Vaike grab the man by the throat and heave him into the corner of a wall. I clutched the wooden lance in my trembling hands tightly, and just hoped there were no more surprises like this.

"Ya all right, you lug?" Sully asked, placing a hand on Vaike's shoulder. His frowning face softened and he gave us a smile.

"I think Stahl's more frazzled than The Vaike is."

Stahl gave him a dismissive look like he wanted to scoff playfully, but I think he was nervous and had to catch his breath. I thanked them both before we continued on, towards the staircase that would lead us to the sixth floor where Emmeryn's room was located. These stairs took us to the fourth floor, and I knew the next set wasn't far from here. We turned a few hallways and rounded a few corners until the wide set of steps appeared in front of us and shouting came from up them. And then, the worst possible thing that could have happened at this moment, did.

The lights that had flooded the hallways and illuminated the area, went out.

* * *

**Uh-ohhh! THE LIGHTS!**

**CORY = CORDELIA!**

**This chapter takes place at the same time (but not in the same location with the same people) as when "Marth" is revealed to be a woman who knows the future in game. (Chapter six cutscene!) She predicts there will be an attack on the castle on this night, and informs Chrom and the tactician in order to make an attempt at preventing it! **

**Since the cutscene happens with Chrom, "Marth and the tactician and we follow Su and Gaius, I thought it'd be cool to just baby-step our way to the same situation but with Sumia, instead. :)I had a lot of fun writing dialogue for each of the characters, so I hope they seem like themselves! (Especially with Stahl, because I always thought he was adorable, but I did some research and supported him with people in game and those initial thoughts were reaffirmed. So cuuute!~) I also thought it'd add to her to play on Sumia's lack of self-confidence, but I also tried to not make it seem like that was all she ever thought about. Hopefully it doesn't seem too overbearing!**

**Aaaanyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope it was maybe worth the wait? It's a little bit longer than the last chapter, and hopefully as enjoyable! **

**(The next chapter will be posted soon, I swear! :')**

**Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated; they're like presents to me! If you've got the time and have questions about anything at all, please feel free to leave one, or PM me! I'm always excited to meet new peeps! :)**

**~*Have a great day/night!*~**

***Thanks again!***


	3. Betrayal

**I am so sorry, guys! v.v**

**For a while there, I was just stuck at the halfway point and needed to figure out how to start again, and then my computer hard drive conked out on me! :( I have such bad luck with computers, I just don't know! :c Anyway, it's still under warranty, so I got a new hard drive, installed it, and BAM! :) It's all peachy again! Again, I really apologize for the delay on this chapter, but I hope it turns out to be entertaining enough for you to forgive me! **

**I really would like to thank those who've reviewed the previous chapters: **

**Mr-Watch, Strawberry Eggs, Cormag Ravenstaff, and Tactician Fan**

**And the new followers, as well! I really appreciate the time you've taken to leave feedback! Thank you so much! :)**

**Without further adieu, here's Gaius!**

**~*Happy reading!*~**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Betrayal**

Bob was right.

I got there early today, eavesdropped and listened in on Clyde, Thom and Kasper. I heard my name sprinkled here and there, listened to the three of them repeat the plan fifty times to each other and then themselves, but wasn't sure what came after that; I didn't stay long enough to find out. It made me sick for a minute to think about how great an actor Thom was, or maybe it was how stupid I was, but it passed as quickly as it took me to unwrap a new sucker.

According to the plan, I was supposed to "waltz on over to the locked door, do my lock-picking shit," and snatch the treasure from a room on an upper floor of the castle. That was it, though, because instantly after that, I was supposed to not notice Kasper's heavy footsteps tailing me and get stuck by him from behind. Thom was just supposed to make sure things went accordingly.

While Bob told me about interventionists and my escape, and I wasn't really the type of guy to go out of my way to do extra work, this situation felt like a time to ignore my slothful demeanor and rough 'em up a bit before I left. I just had to make sure I was cautious about what to believe if I was confronted by anyone. And what to say.

"You look like you got a lot on your mind, Gaius." The Prick said. He walked up to me like he had a stick up his rump. "Maybe a lil more than just cupcakes and candies?"

"It's not surprising that you don't look like you do, Lead-Foot." I replied, sourly. I was just thankful that talking to him like dirt was a normal thing for me, otherwise he might suspect I knew... Nah.

He just stood there a minute, looking flustered, but it didn't last long. "Let's just hope that jiggling gut of yours don't keep you from doing your pansy work."

Gut...? Er... Maybe I had let the sweets hit me in the wrong places lately, but I could fix that. There was nothing he could do about the fat that was caking up his head.

"My pansy work keeps me from looking like you," I laughed, and he didn't like that. He threw himself into me and we fell backwards; into a chair and then into the wall behind it. I ended up sitting in the seat, and could feel a knife against my cheek. His breathing was heavy on my face. I threw his hand away, and shoved him back with my foot. He grunted and tumbled back over a stool. After catching the corner of a table, he just hunched, clutched his stomach, and glared at me.

"I'll change that." He said, with a pained grin. "You just wait and see. One o' these days... That pretty, stupid face of yours'll be cut up so bad, you won't be able to see straight." ...Ha. I didn't doubt he'd try, but he had an uncanny knack for stepping like mines were stuck to his feet.

"Hey boys." Clyde approached us with a loopy smile; one that made him look intoxicated. "Don't look like you're doing much to prepare for tonight."

"Oh we are, Boss-Man." I said, watching his face shift into that familiar frown again. "Trust me."

"You're sitting here on your ass!" He brought his arms up in irritation and turned to Kasper. "And do you gotta take a dump or something, Numbskull?"

"Er, s-sorry Clyde." Kasper burped and groaned. I really wanted to laugh, but I was kind of hoping that their plan would stay its course. I figured if I did too much too provoke them, they might just off me early.

"Yeah, you'd better be." He growled. "Now go run around town and be sneaky about it. Count how many times someone locks eyes with you and do ten push-ups for each."

Kasper nodded, but he looked really green around the gills. I didn't think I kicked him that hard, but maybe he was the one who'd just eaten a ship-full of sweets. Boy, what I wouldn't give.

"And you," He paused, stood me up and draped an arm around my shoulder. I wanted to throw it off and bop him one, but instead I just cringed and walked when he started walking.

"How're you feelin' about today, Gaius?"

"Peachy."

"Peachy..." He repeated, and smiled. "Peachy..."

"Yup."

"I've always been curious to know what the deal is with you and sweets." We stopped and he stared hard at my face.

I knew he wanted a response, but instead I clenched my teeth onto the sucker stick in my mouth and waited.

"Is it just a taste thing?"

"Sure." That definitely wasn't all of it, but I shrugged, and slowly pulled his arm from around my neck. I wanted to ask why today seemed like a good time to ask, but I knew it'd only make me look aware.

"You ain't worried about your teeth fallin' outta your head, then?"

"Negative, Boss-Man."

"Hmph." He mumbled.

"You remember when I opened my first door?" As difficult as it was to do, I hit him with the cheesiest grin I could muster and chuckled. I knew there was no way I could convince him to reconsider his plan, especially since this employer seemed to have him by the jewels, but thought maybe I could drive him to think passed his motto about no regrets; make him feel crummy.

He looked surprised, but played it. "Yep. That _click_ was enough for me to know Benji taught you well."

"I thought you said it was a natural thing." I play pouted and he just laughed.

"That too. You do got a lot of talent in thievery, Gaius."

"Oh?" I smirked, but it was short-lived.

"Yeah, but that's just the thing. I think your 'moral' shit gets in the way of you getting better." He said. So that's what all of this was about. I'd never killed anyone, and that apparently became a problem. "Our group is evolving, Kid. You gotta mature with us or there ain't no place for you anymore."

"We're done looting, then? We're done aiming for food on the table?"

"Yup, we're passed that. We've got gold, we've got skill, and you're the only one dwelling." He paused, so I interjected, irritably.

"You know food is vital to live, right, Chum?"

He scowled and continued. "If you haven't noticed, everyone else's got food on their tables, Gaius. You and Benji, I guess are the exceptions."

"Or maybe we're the only ones whose standards haven't slipped to nothing." I countered, feeling heated.

"And that's where you lose out, Buddy." He clucked his tongue and said, stopping. "We're assassins. We don't have any standards."

There had _always _been standards; whether it was for how much each person made, or how much a person trained, or assisted, or even how much class we had. We never took jobs that we didn't like, for anyone we didn't like. There were only a few people that would take and do anything, and they're long since dead for it. Maybe that was what Clyde was aiming for.

"So what's tonight, then?" I asked.

"The last of our looting days. We're supposed to raid the castle for what it's got."

"Why didn't you just say that last night when I asked?"

That didn't add up. The employer didn't look like he needed money and the group wasn't savvy enough to pick locks in the castle. Not to mention, he said they were stocked up on gold and food. I knew what I did know about tonight was a load of horse plop, but he didn't have to make it so damn apparent.

He ignored me. "You've got the rooms to the northwest on the top floor. The vault I want you to open is up there."

There was a silence for a while before he spoke again and put a hand on my shoulder, clenching it tight.

"If you wanna change your tune, Gaius, we can figure something out." He said. "We could pick the locks tonight and work with you after this job is done."

"Nope."

"Fine." He sighed. "We're leaving just before dusk. Make sure you bring your lockpicks."

"Got it."

He turned away from me and walked down the hallway we came from. I just hoped I was able to see his face when he watched his plans fall apart.

**. . . . .**

We left just before sun down; slipped through the streets with our hoods up, unnoticed, and headed towards the castle as expected. Only thing was, I was pretty darn sure I was the only one with a jingling ring of lockpicks hanging from my belt.

Go figure.

That just meant they probably intended to do the only thing any of them were good at instead of 'raiding the castle' for its goods, which made sense. Also meant their target was probably some big wig. I might consider taking a chance and helping the rich fellows out if it didn't prove to be much of a hassle and there was something in it for me.

In any case, it didn't take long to breach the outer walls to the courtyard. Found a hole in it that had been covered by piles of dead brush and vines. Ripped that away as quietly as possible and slipped right on through, one after another. If it weren't for the thick underbrush and the large quantity of trees that lined the perimeter with the wall, we would've been caught right away.

We dodged the guards that were nearby and spread out into smaller groups without any trouble. Clyde, Thom and Kasper, along with Trent and Beau made it a point to keep me close, which was good. I didn't have a plan, but little to no variation in theirs would make it easy to keep my head. We slunk through the narrow space between the towering stone mass next to us on our left, and the bushes and trees to our right, until Clyde stopped. By this time, the sky was losing sight of the sun and the area was quiet, minus a bit of chatter and laughter not too far from where we stood.

The noise encouraged us to crouch and we stared through the bushes at the two people walking along the pathway in the courtyard in front of us. I unwrapped a hard candy from my pocket and popped it in my mouth. I think it may have been one of the last ones... Damn.

"It's getting late, Chrom. It might be wise to head inside soon." The girl said.

"Probably, but..." Their voices were faint.

"But what? What's on your mind?"

"It's nothing, Rorie."

"You don't have to lie, Chrom. We can talk about it."

"Talk? Oh brother." Kasper mumbled, and Clyde and Trent snickered in response. "I was hoping we'd see some _action_, if you know what I mean." He nudged Beau, who just gave him a halfhearted smile and kept his eyes glued forward.

I scoffed quietly and rolled my eyes, giving a glance towards Thom. He just looked jittery and his eyes were wide. I counted four times he looked over his shoulder.

"I...I don't know about this, guys." He whispered. I almost didn't hear it. "I don't know if I can..." He gulped and inhaled sharply. "Do this."

"Don't wuss out on us now," Trent whispered back. "You _can't_ wuss out on us."

"Easy there, Shaky. We've done plenty of large-scale heists before." I muttered, giving him a reassuring grin. Boy, was it hard to act this dense. I wasn't sure how Kasper managed all the time. Mayhaps just a natural talent.

He looked down and nodded. "Y-yeah. You're right."

"I know."

"Gaius, I need you and Kasper to do a perimeter run."

"For what?" Kasper asked.

"To make sure none of our guys are still lingering on the outskirts. We need 'em inside and in place."

"He'll get us caught." I whispered harshly. There was no way. And if it did happen, I'd make him walk in front of me the whole time. But then again... If he was here and I wasn't, they might change the plan while I was out.

"Damn it Gaius, we don't have time for your picky bullshit." If a whisper-scream existed, that would have been it. He launched himself to me and clenched the side of my face tightly. It was dark, but I could see how angry he was.

"Okay, okay. It's fine. Let's just go, Dope." I pulled myself from his grip and snapped my fingers to call Kasper. He looked like he wanted to murder me, but started moving with a shake of his ugly head anyway. If looks could kill, I guess. I made sure to keep my hand at my side for quick access to my weapon if it came down to it. I considered offing him while we were away from the rest of the bunch, but he was a broad guy with experience in this ugly mess.

We set off briskly, using the wall to guide our journey. I don't think the Prick could have made more noise if he wanted to. He must have stepped on broke every single twig in the whole damn courtyard and tripped and grunted at least five times. And then he had to make sure I wasn't laughing behind him by stating aloud that if I "wanted to keep my tongue, I'd best not be laughing back there." The guards that stood around gave glances our way because of it, and a few even called another over with a worried shout. I knew how his little practice town-run went, earlier; probably in debt five-hundred push-ups.

I wasn't sure how far we'd gone from where we started, but we hadn't seen anyone of 'our guys' yet. It had been a while and after a bit longer, we passed the opening in the wall.

"Good." I muttered, frowning. The candy in my mouth was almost gone and I only had one plum sucker left.

At that moment, a deafening explosion pounded in my ears and I felt the earth quiver under my feet. I mumbled a 'whoa' when I wanted to yell, and watched as Kasper nearly face-planted over a thicker branch, only catching himself on the trunk of the tree nearby. We continued, despite my head drowning in thoughts about the explosion, and found Thom and Kasper frantic and restless where we left 'em. Trent and Beau weren't there, though.

"Finally!" Clyde said. It looked like most of the guards patrolling the area had rushed into the castle.

"What was that?" I asked. "And where are Pokey and Beans?"

"I don't know." Clyde lied. "Ain't our problem, though." I scoffed. "You, Thom and Kasper are gonna head inside from this entrance right here."

"Which floor d-do I raid, again, Sir?" Thom asked, nervously.

"You've got two, Kasper's got three and Gaius's got six." Did fancy royals put treasure on lower floors...? Guess maybe it just depended. Anyway, it seemed like this was the time that things were gonna get a bit crazy. I had to watch for when Shaky and the Prick supposedly broke apart from me, or I had to take care of them before they could...

"What about you?" I said. "Where are you off to?"

"Got business with the employer. He just got here."

Employers didn't come to the scene of the crime... ever. I guess I should've known he was a quack when he came to our hideout.

"He's _here_?" Pull it back... "...He doesn't have to spectate. He think we can't get it done or somethin'?"

"Er... nah. He heard we were good, so he wants to see how well we do."

"I see." I said.

"Yeah, now scat! Make sure to hit the base when you've collected what you need to." We were about to turn away from him, but he caught my face again and turned it so I looked him in the eyes. His expression was grim, and he looked like he was ready to hit me. "And you," He said. "Don't disappoint me."

He pushed my head away and gave us all a look. "None of you better disappoint me."

Kasper and Thom nodded and stared after him for a pinch as he tore away from us, and less than a minute later we were darting across the courtyard. ...Right over the bloodied bodies of Trent and Beau. Yeesh. It looked like they each just had one good slice across their midsections and had bled out. Bet it was that Prince. He was someone I should make arrangements with.

I tried to ignore the image of their dead bodies floating around in my head and continue, but I could feel my lungs ache. I hadn't had to sprint for a while, but it seemed like Thom's breath was more gone than mine. We leaned against the wall, just barely missing the eyes of a guard dashing by us.

I could hear shouts and cries from inside, something I knew I should've been anticipating.

"Guys, I just-" Thom started. There was a shiver in his voice.

"Shut up!" Kasper hissed, clenching Thom's collar in his hands and muttering something I really didn't care to understand. As far as I was concerned, it was just me... And the last sucker I had. I figured now was as good a time as any and popped it in my mouth. So... good.

I ignored them and started inside, but I didn't get very far. I felt a barring hold on my cloak that reeled me back outside.

"I think he wanted the things done, y'know, tonight." I said irritably.

"I say when we go, and I say it ain't time yet."

"I'll keep that in mind for when Boss-Man is-" The lights shut off inside. As if on cue, both Thom and Kasper went in without another word. The Prick just gave me a dumb look. I followed suit, and we jogged down corridor after corridor, narrowly evading a few blind scraps here and there, and found the main staircase.

We didn't go up this one, but it helped me know where we were. The construction of this place was pretty straight-forward, thankfully. I mean, as far as the staircases went. There were two main sets of steps that were apparent to the public, and a third set -a cylinder tower- near the center of the castle that was a bit more disguised. It seemed like Kasper and Thom were aiming to reach that one.

We strode passed the main staircase and headed north, almost directly into a guard who was pretty spooked by the dark and was clearly out of his position. I knew Kasper was probably ready to kill, and I _almost_... took this as my chance to split, but instead, saved the guard's buns. He didn't even notice us slipping by him and Kasper approaching him with his dagger in hand. As silently as I could, I struggled to wrench Kasper away from his prey and around the next corner, Thom following closely behind.

As soon as we were out of sight, Kasper hit me. I fell against the wall and my sucker was tossed out of my mouth. I didn't even care that it dropped on the floor. It was my last one and gods only knew how I needed my sweets. He wanted to hit me again and I winced, but Thom intervened.

"You..." He glared, and his mouth curved into a twisted smile. "You'll pay for that."

"Mhm." I said, and made my way forward. They followed, and we found the staircase tower. We pried open the door, and found that it was pretty much empty all the way up, and down. We went up.

"See ya guys... later." Thom said, as we set foot in front of the door to the second floor.

"Careful," I said, but he just pulled it open as quietly as he could and inched through it.

"Gonna get his stupid ass killed, that one." Kasper muttered. The next set was a quick trip and Kasper just pushed through the next door without a word.

Now was the time to consider my options. The way I figured it, I could do one of two things. I could hit the sixth floor and try and find the nobles that were probably in trouble, or I could jet right back down the stairs and leave; find an honest living making gems, or embroidering or baking or... well, anything really. But then if I decided to help the nobles, there might be a better payment and less on my conscious.

"_Ah!" _I heard a short, ear-piercing yelp and a thud from up a floor or two. It didn't sound like a death-wail, but even so it was probably too late. If there was a chance though, it might just be my ticket to the royals. And... I couldn't just let... ugh.

I gave the blackened bottom of the tower a longing look before drawing my weapon and heading up the stairs as quickly as my legs would carry me.

* * *

**Pwew. This chapter actually was a lot longer than I was anticipating! I hope it didn't drone in any place and kept you entertained! **

**So, we've got a bit of bad acting going on here, a bit of unfriendly circumstances and nervous Thom? Plus a some other things! The part that includes Chrom and Rorie is when "Marth" saves them both from the two assassins in the bushes, which happen to be Trent and Beau if that was unclear! Clyde sends Gaius away to do a perimeter run to keep him from knowing about the assassination mission! ;) **

**I kind of tried to keep Gaius in the dark about Emmeryn's assassination mission to stay true to his recruitment speech with Chrom in chapter six, but it was a bit tougher to do since he's been a part of this group for a while and can ask questions because of his previous friendship with his boss. If that makes sense! If not, it's okay! x3**

**ALSO A SCREAM! Who could it be? ;) **

**Chapter four will be up within the next few days because it's been typed up since before this story became a story! xD Some major edits need to take place, but those take less time than writing an entire chapter! :D**

**Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated; they're like presents to me! If you've got the time and have questions about anything at all, please feel free to leave one, or PM me! I'm always excited to meet new peeps! :)**

**~*Have a great day/night!*~**

***Thanks again!***


	4. Hero

**Okay, so it took more than just a few days! A couple days times three? **

**Hahaha, anyway, welcome to the longest chapter I've submitted to any story I've ever written! :'3 I usually refrain from posting chapters that are pretty long because I worry that'll drive people away, but I figured it'd be okay for this one because it's kinda of the conclusion to these passed three chapters. :3**

**I really wanna take the time to thank the reviewers, the followers and the favorites on this story; you guys are awesome! I always look forward to your feedback and responses every time I post a new chapter and it makes me feel so great that you guys are enjoying yourselves! Thank you so much!**

**~*Mr-Watch, Niklausthedragoon, Cormag Ravenstaff, and Strawberry Eggs!*~**

**Alrighty, I'll quit flapping my gums and let you get on with it!**

**~*Happy reading! :)*~**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Hero**

They say when you're going to die, the day feels different than any other. It's either really, really good, or something happens that you could never imagine in your wildest dreams. I wasn't sure what I could classify this day as, but one thing was for certain. Today, I was going to meet the end of my life.

I only say that because I had tripped and hit my head on the lowest step of the staircase when the lights disappeared, and had been fumbling around alone in the dark for quite a while now. At the time, I had so much confidence that I could catch up to Sully and Stahl and Vaike when I stood up that I didn't call out for help when it happened, but I was so wrong. So very, very wrong.

They hadn't realized that I fell, but I knew they had bigger things to worry about than making sure I was in one piece all the time; like the safety of Emmeryn and Chrom and Lissa. I wouldn't want it any other way... Although, I did wish I could be more of a contributor to their protection than a burden to everyone who actually was helpful. I guessed I really wouldn't get to know what being of use actually felt like.

Anyway, the fall didn't only leave me with an explosion of stars dancing beneath my eyelids and a gash in my head, but it also rendered me unaware of where forwards was. After the trip, I sat on the floor for a while, just recognizing that something was wrong and that I was dizzy, but after a few moments of silence, it really hit me and my stomach twisted. It was kind of like that feeling you get when you really screw something up. I could hear nothing but the faint buzz of a forming headache and my own, ragged breathing. I tried to keep my head from spinning and collect myself as best as I could; standing with the help of the mock spear and brushed away the strand of blood that was leaking down my face, but I knew finding where I was supposed to go was probably far from possible.

I tried anyway, grimacing at the wound and slowly feeling my way through open doorway after open doorway until something came to mind. Memory of the arrow that had almost hit Vaike, and the man that attacked Stahl took over my foggy thoughts... I knew they weren't the only ones. Men dressed like that with those kinds of skills could only be recognizable in packs... And by the masses...

"Oh Gods..." I whispered shakily, but feared even that was too loud for my surroundings. They were probably everywhere. "Oh Gods..."

My heart was heaving in my chest and I couldn't stop shaking so my handle on my lance was nothing but sweaty and loose... But I put one foot gingerly in front of the other, hoping to find some place to keep out of the way for now, or a wall to huddle against. I just wanted my breathing to quiet down, but my lungs weren't allowing it.

"Oh Gods," I repeated, and squeezed my eyes shut. They hadn't adjusted to the dark much at all, so I kept them closed. I found out that that was no good either, because after a few steps, I fell into something that made a scraping noise against the hard marble floor and I landed on the ground again. Not only that, but a yelp passed my lips, and it wasn't quiet. I felt my eyes sting with tears at the problems at hand, the new throbbing in my knee, and my stupidity but tried my hardest to shoo them away. No tears for Sumia. No matter how horrible or dumb or useless she was. If I did, by some sort of miracle escape from this situation, I just knew that I had to try my hardest to become better.

I think what I fell into was a chair, and I was pretty sure there was a one in a million chance that no one heard it. I figured they'd probably all be flocking to this spot, but if I could just find the corner of the room or something... But then again, what if they didn't care about me? What if they didn't care to pursue a simple chair scrape?

I shook my head and tried to think of something else. I wondered how Chrom and Rorie and Lissa and Frederick and Maribelle and everyone was doing. I bet they were all fine, together and being productive. I smiled at the thought.

That's when I heard them. Footsteps. Heavy, pounding footsteps. They were distant, probably a couple rooms away, but I knew they were heading to where I was. Whenever anyone in suspense novels heard footsteps, the owners of those heavy strides were always a minute away from finding the protagonist. With that thought in mind, I scrambled as quickly as I could across the floor until I felt the crease where the wall met the marble. I spun myself around on my rear, pulled my knees into my chest and clenched the spear as tightly as I could, but in the process I think my foot knocked into something that dropped and shattered a vase.

If ever there was an appropriate time to yell at myself for being so stupid, now would have been that perfect time. I was doomed. I just hoped no one was too disappointed in me.

I tried to slow my breathing and quiet down, but the footsteps were maintaining a steady course, closer every second. I didn't know how close they were exactly, but it was enough for me to find it absolutely horrifying...

In another moment, they stopped... inside the same room as I was perched in. I wanted to become one with the wall I was leaning against but instead, hugged my knees tighter.

"Someone's tryna hide in here..." A low growl of a voice said. "And she smells nice."

I froze. I had no idea how concealed I was or if he could see me, but I heard the footsteps pick up again. They were coming closer.

Instead of fear, I felt a fire spark inside of me and readied my lance to thrust. I didn't know what I'd do if I made a connection and I didn't know where to run or if I could, but if he came any closer, he was getting a splinter at the very least. I heard the heavy steps stop right in front of me and I shoved the blunt tip of the lance at where I thought would be his middle. For a second, I thought I hit him because he groaned, but instead of him falling back at the impact, the wooden staff was ripped from my hands and I heard it land a fair distance away.

"Ah!" I screeched, feeling a painful grasp on my hair drag me upwards to stand. My knees were like pudding and I tried to clutch the hair just under the big hands to alleviate some of the sting, but I felt my body shoved against the wall and the strain on my scalp disappeared. Instead, a tight hold on my face replaced it and I felt some hot, stinky breath on my neck.

"Feisty girls don't get very far with people like me." I shivered and the man inhaled sharply and chuckled. His voice was deep and intimidating.

"You're just lucky I gotta thing for chicks with long hair." I felt his other hand trace the side of my face and play with the curl in front of my ear.

"Y'know, I'd take ya along with me if I didn't have people to kill tonight." He paused. "Might get blood on your perty face."

"Y-you don't have to kill anyone... You could just-" I squeaked, but he interrupted.

"Just what?!" He yelled. "Prance around like the fancy nobles do? No." His voice lowered.

"Okay..." I whispered.

"No... That's why the exalt has to die tonight. She's the reason fancy people stay fancy and street dogs stay on the street. She ain't doin' nothin' but acting like she gives a damn."

"That's not true!" I said, and felt the aching tug on my hair again.

"Oh it ain't? I guess you wouldn't know, would ya?"

"P-please," I muttered. My head was spinning and shrieking. He was getting really angry so I knew it wouldn't be too much longer, and the scream that had been building was caught in my throat.

"Pa-pa-pa-please!" He mocked. I wanted to be mad, but I was too afraid... I struggled against him as best I could, but found myself nothing but frustrated.

"I was gonna make it quick, but you pissed me off."

"Don't...!" I grunted, making an attempt to get his arm to let go of my throbbing cheeks before he could make any moves. He just laughed at me and tossed me to the side, and it must have been right into the shards of broken vase; I felt a searing ache in my hands. I think a few chunks slid through the palms and fingers of my gloves and into my skin and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out. I wished that the end would come and this would just be over with already, but I wished more that I wouldn't feel so bad for longing to be saved by someone... anyone. I just hated to be a burden.

For an assassin, he sure was taking a long time... I guess maybe there was some sort of art to killing that I maybe wasn't aware of.

I felt his hand on my hair, but in that instant, something happened. There was a heavy thump, a deep groan, the hand was wrenched from my tangled nest and the glass next to me shifted and crunched. If I didn't know any better, I would have said my assaulter was knocked unconscious. But... by who? I scrambled to my feet with the wall as support and as soon as I did, another voice whispered.

"Don't scream." It said. I almost complied, but I had finally dislodged the cry that had been building. I let it loose, but not too long after I felt a smaller, gloved hand wrap around my face and my screeches were quickly muffled. My head was a jumbled, scattered mess and I couldn't piece together whether or not this one was a friend of if they were just much more competent at their job. Their grip told me it was a male, and that he was serious and deadly, but the wave of sweet-scented air that filled my nose put me at ease.

"Shhhh!" The voice whispered, but instead I continued and pushed against him. I felt the sting of the glass silvers in my hands, so I started throwing elbows instead. I could tell he was much less bulky than the previous, but still stood firmly.

"Please stop," He grunted, clearly struggling with my wiggling arms. He pulled me away from the wall by my face and I nearly tripped on something huge. I think it must have been the other guy.

"I'd scream at me too, but I'm gonna help you find your friends."

At this, my heart soared and I stopped moving and hollering like a madwoman. There was always the possibility that he was lying but... even if he was, it was a nice thing to hear before it was all over.

"Thing is, I can't do it on my own." He whispered. "You've gotta stay quieter than a mouse, be light on your feet, and we've gotta keep moving."

I think he felt my nod with the hand that was still around my mouth because he let it go and gripped my wrist instead. I wondered what he was doing or who he was with to be here, helping me, but if he was sincere, I had to thank him somehow. Maybe just trying my hardest to be helpful and careful not to trip would be enough for now.

"_K-Kasper?_" A low voice muttered aloud, not too far away. His hold tightened on my wrist and I heard him mumble and curse.

"Damn it, Thom."

Without warning, I felt him tug me in some direction, but thankfully it wasn't too fast for me to keep up with. After a few steps though, I could hear the patter my shoes made against the floor and I knew that was going to cause some problems. I wanted to stop and take them off, but I think he had other plans.

I hit my hip on a door frame, which meant that we were fleeing from the voice... And shortly after, I was forced against a wall again. This time I knew he was close, but I didn't mind it as much. I felt his quiet breath in my ear and it tickled, but thankfully it was short lived. Couldn't start laughing in the middle of this nightmare. He might've thought I was a nutcase and left me here alone or something.

"Stay here," Was all I heard before a sword unsheathed in front of me and my heart starting pounding against my breastplate. Was I wrong about him...? I couldn't be sure until I heard him say "I'll be right back." and then I knew his weapon was intended for the voice we'd just heard. Thank goodness.

"_Kasper! What happened!?_" I heard, and then a small wind that smelled like mint rushed by me. I knew he was gone, so I took this time to unbuckle and undo my boots from the back and tear them from my feet. I just hoped there was no more glass to be stepped on. I struggled with the first one and almost fell over, but put an elbow on the wall to steady myself. It was difficult to do with bits of glass in your fingers, but I managed and slipped the pink strap on the top of each boot around my wrist.

"_Gaius, what the hell is going on? Did you do this?_"

There wasn't a response to this question, but there was a whole mess of grunting and clashing of metal. I just prayed that the sword I heard unsheathe in front of me left the last slash. I did as he told me to do and stood there as quietly as I could until I heard a shift in _this_ room... Oh no...

I was pretty sure whoever it was saw me, but it took me until the sound of a bowstring being pulled back to really know. As an instinct, I let my legs collapse and fell to the floor, feeling the impact not only on my rear, but on the wall above me. I was about to shriek, until the same minty wind swept by me again and there was a blood curdling grunt across the room.

"Let's go." "Gaius" said, sternly. Without another thought, I stood, feeling a hand clamp around my wrist again. His grasp was wet and I tried to ignore what I knew it was.

"What was that?"

"Just a pest."

"What about the other-"

"I took care of it; he's out like a light."

We tore out of that room and I think into few others before he stopped and took a breather. I was pretty sure it was a hallway we rested in, and we leaned against the wall. I was a little worried about that Thom guy who Gaius hadn't killed... But I guessed he had a plan or something... Not to mention, he made sure to never let his hand leave my wrist and that gave me a sense of security; it made me feel like we could get out of here okay. He seemed like a nice guy, especially since I slipped here and there on the way to this spot and he had to catch me with a strong grip to keep me from falling each and every time. Despite my constant sliding, he hadn't given a complaint once. I wasn't sure if that was because that would involve making noise, but regardless, it reminded me of the Shepherds and how accepting they were.

"I was thinking maybe the tower, but if we ran into trouble, we'd be done for..." He whispered. "But if we take the main staircase we'll probably run into the lot of 'em."

"Y-you couldn't handle...-"

"There's no way." He said. "Sorry to disappoint, but this is not my forte."

"I'm not disappointed at all; I really don't know how I'll be able to repay you..." I whispered. "Thank you so much." I felt my eyes water. I was sure I was going to die at the start of this whole thing, but right now, that seemed like a different night. There was a possibility that wasn't there before, one that would allow me to become stronger for my friends, my allies, Lady Emmeryn and Ylisse.

"Don't thank me just yet," He muttered, and we started moving swiftly again. "We're taking the tower."

The staircase in the tower was narrow and wound in a circular motion all the way up to the roof if you felt like going there. As we sped that way, round corner after corner, I knew we'd dodged a few enemies. That made me think this Gaius wasn't one of them. From what I could tell, and from what he said at least, he wasn't much of a killer... Though the blood that had seeped through the glove around my wrist shouted otherwise. If he were one of them though, he probably just would have left me for dead.

"Think your friends would mind another companion?" He asked, as we took a sharp turn. "I'm not much, but-"

"I think they'd be glad to have you." I responded simply. He seemed skilled enough, and as an immediate ally, he knew a bit about our foes. That could definitely be helpful. If we got through this, I would beg Chrom to let him stay if I needed to. I had to pay him back for this. But he was right; maybe I was getting too ahead of myself...

"Great." He mumbled, as we came to a stop. He sounded genuinely irritated, but just let go of my arm.

"What is it?" I whispered, hoping I wouldn't frustrate him further. I heard a doorknob jiggle, and another sigh before a small ticking noise replaced it. He grunted a few times and then a louder click sounded.

"Nada, Girly." He replied, and I was relieved. I thought for a second it might have been-

"I didn't realize you were such a whore when I saw you back there, Miss." ...Oh Gods. It was the big, bad guy, the gruff voice from before... and he was not too far away.

"And I didn't realize you had such shitty taste in men."

"I brought you that statue you whacked us with, Gaius. Thought you might want it back." I think that was "Thom."

I didn't get to hear much more, because the door opened in front of me and I was shoved though. I almost tripped forwards after stumbling in and if I had, I would have fallen into a hole that was four floors deep. The heavy door was slammed behind me and almost instantly after that, there was a loud banging and a pained wail that echoed against the walls of the silent tower I was in... I knew it was from Gaius and I felt myself tense and my head spin faster. I didn't want to leave him, but I didn't know what else to do... I also didn't want to get in the way because I only had a few battles under my belt and I was terrible, but if he was just some guy who picked locks and was aiming to fight that monster, I knew he wouldn't last long...

With that in mind, I concluded that something had to be done to prevent that... But if I was to be helpful at all, the first thing I had to do was remove the chunks of vase from my hands. Thankfully there was glow that caught my eye; it was from one of the many lanterns that lined the stairs, all the way up. It hung on a hook that was above my head, so I just took a deep breath, gritted my teeth and plucked each piece out. It didn't take long, but it hurt more than any bruise I'd ever gotten. I wanted to cry, but I shoved those emotions aside and reached up to unhook the lantern. It was almost too high up, but I managed to pull it down without very much trouble.

I made sure to steady myself and hold my breath before pressing my ear against the door. I just hoped there was something... anything to hear. If there wasn't, I could be sure I was too late...

"You really screwed up, Gaius." Thom said.

"Not really sure what you're spouting off about, Shaky."

"C'mon, Gaius. What happened to getting the treasure?"

"Kinda figured that was a hash when you were chanting about killing me off this morning." Gaius coughed. "You guys didn't really strike me as the seance types, but... whatever frosts your cupcakes-"

I almost shoved myself through that door in that instant, right after hearing him groan in pain again, but figured I had to wait until he was off of the door...

"We'll open that vault and kill these snots without you." Kasper laughed. "I'm gonna enjoy myself; cutting you up into little pieces."

"Don't doubt it," Gaius muttered.

"I wish things would have been-" Thom's voice was interrupted by what sounded like another body hitting him... and then his voice rang out loudly until he started gurgling and choking on something.

There was more of a scuffle following that, but it seemed to have distanced itself from the door. After another yelp from Gaius, I decided then that I had to get in there. Finding something to equip myself with was the problem at the moment... The first thing that I pulled from my head was a quick and probably stupid decision, but I undid my belt and knew from personal experience that the points of the metal hearts that were attached to both ends of it would hurt if I hit someone. I just hoped I could make a connection.

Without another thought, I threw open the door and smacked someone with it. It sounded like Gaius was on the receiving end, so I silently cursed myself and ran through before it was slammed closed again. The light from the lantern made it known that the big guy with the hood, Kasper, was pressing a dagger into who must have been Gaius. He was sandwiched between the blade and the door, and was struggling to avoid being over-powered...

So I grimaced, took a tighter hold on the belt, and swung it at the bigger one. It smacked him in the side of his face and he was so caught off guard that he was forced away by a swift boot to the stomach. I was about to swing it at him again, but a bloodied Gaius dove at him with his own weapon outstretched and caught him in the gut with it. They tumbled backwards and were tussling on the ground... Gaius looked like he had the upper hand for now, so I took this as my chance to find something better than a belt.

I was about to turn from the scene, but right before I could I felt another sharp ache in my head that almost knocked me to the floor. I fell forward and turned around quickly to find a guy, probably Thom, with his hand clenched around an open wound on his throat and a little sculpture in his other hand. He just gave me a glare, followed by a sorrowful expression and collapsed. I glanced Gaius's way again and watched as a forceful punch landed against his face. I almost screamed but instead, scrambled to the floor. I intended to grab up the sculpture or locate a knife and found both. I picked up the statue and turned around quickly, ready to chuck it at Kasper and realized that there actually was an opportunity to do it.

He was on top of Gaius again and was laughing with his weapon in his hands, so I aimed and threw the heavy thing as hard as I could. I wasn't sure if it was my vision failing me, but I missed completely... All it did was draw the attention from Gaius to me, but I guessed that was good because Gaius reached, grabbed up the sculpture and jammed it into Kasper's... Er... groin and well, it was enough to allow Gaius to shove him off and leap to his feet. He gave a kick to Kasper's head and looked like he was searching for his weapon, but I worried it'd be too late by the time he found it and Kasper would be back up and ready to pounce. I picked up the knife that was on the floor in the same hand as my belt and I clutched it as tightly as I could.

"We should go-" I started, but wasn't able to finish. Apparently he was thinking the same; he practically leaped to the door behind me, tossed it open, replaced the knife in my grip with his own hand and we shot through the opening.

Gaius's breath was heaving and he was limping, but the higher we climbed, the more noise we could hear. While I was running behind him, all I could think about was how his hair was a pretty color... And also that my head wounds were getting to me.

We reached the sixth floor after a few moments, and I couldn't stop looking back. I was so worried that Kasper would catch up... but I never saw anyone bounding up the stairs behind us and Gaius didn't seem too worried... he drew in a shallow breath.

"Thanks for that back there. You really saved my tarts." He said aloud, managing to crack a crooked smile. He had a nice face, except for the blood that clung to it. His voice was deep and smooth and sounded full of nonchalance, despite the situation. I didn't really know how to respond and my face got warm, but I knew my head hurt and I was tired. I just gave him a nod and I think a smile, but it must've looked like something else.

"Yeah," He paused, looking me over. "Maybe we can chat later. For now, let's just get you safe and snug."

He had to unlock the door before we could go through and he took the lantern from me. As we entered, a bunch of shouts that I found familiar bounced off of the walls. I could hear Chrom shouting words of encouragement, war cries from Sully and Lon'qu, and yells from Rorie and Ricken and Virion... My heart was happy to hear their voices.

Gaius led me straight down the hallway to our left, but instead of rounding the corner, he stopped us and pressed his back against the wall. There was light to the right, but it was dark on the left. It made me wonder what we were doing but in that instant, a woman garbed in black leaped out of the darkness and a flash and crackle of electricity shot into her. She screamed and I realized that would have been us if Gaius hadn't noticed her before she came out.

"Whoa," I yelped, and he inhaled before peeking his head around the corner.

"Say something," He whispered, giving me a reassuring look. "They might hit us if we just barge in there like a couple of -"

"Drop your weapon or die where you stand!" It was Chrom. He had probably seen Gaius poking his head out there and made his presence known to us.

"_S-Sumia_?!" He shouted. "Thank the Gods!"

I ran to him, but made sure Gaius didn't let go of my hand. If I acted like he was keeping me captive or something, they would probably attack him.

"Stahl!" He yelled, pulling me in close to him. At this, Gaius let go. "Call Frederick back! We've found her!"

"Thank goodness!" He called back. The noise and the light in my face made my head throb and spin faster than before...

"Drop it."

"Easy there, Blue Blood." Gaius replied. I felt faint... "I'm not here to hurt anyone."

"Captain..." I muttered. I wasn't sure where my legs went. "Don't hurt him," I felt strong arms catch me. "P-please don't..."

* * *

**Pwew! So, there ya have it! You got your meeting (finally), your confrontations, and LIGHT! FINALLY. xP**

**But yay, the first of many encounters to come between Gaius and Sumia! :')**

**I guess I kinda lied when I said most of this chapter typed out. When I went back and opened it up, I found out that it was a 1,400 word document with errors and hardly any action...:( I used tiny bits and pieces of the document, but most of it is entirely new! That might have contributed to why this took a bit longer to come out, but I think the gap between this and the last chapter was smaller than any other so far? Ah well. :)**

**If you were wondering or unsure, Gaius attacked Thom earlier in the chapter and killed him off later. Seeing that Gaius had never really killed anyone before, and Thom was always a friend, I figured he'd just knock him off their trail ... Later is when he's just wants Sumia and himself to live! ;v; But on that note, what about Kasper? ;) Sorry about the lack of closure, but I wasn't planning on pursuing this beginning sequence any longer. Just because that's the case, don't think I've forgotten about anyone or anything! Things may or may not come up laaaterrrr... ;3 Haha.**

**I also really hope Sumia's voice wasn't lost in her descriptions and she sounded like herself, if not a concussed version of herself! x3 **

**Anyway, I'm really grateful for you sticking with this chapter and reading it all the way through! I hope it was entertaining enough and you feel eager for the next chapter! :3 That's when we start some more interactions that are a little less crazy and a little more fuzzy! :')**

**Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated; they're like presents to me! If you've got the time and have questions about anything at all, please feel free to leave one, or PM me! I'm always excited to meet new peeps! :D**

**~*Have a great day/night!*~**

***Thanks again!***

**:D**


	5. Friendly Competition

**Hey guys! :3 **

**So, I've decided on something! I've decided that from the day I post a new chapter, I'm giving myself a _maximum of two weeks_ to finish and post the next one. :) I figure that'll give me enough time to complete the chapter, but not give me excess time to dawdle and hold out on you guys! :3 IT'S ALL FOR YOU! :'D Hahaha, anyway, I'd really like to thank everyone who's favorited, or followed or reviewed, or even just read this story so far! You guys are wonderful and you deserve better than an update so late in the month! **

**~*Strawberry Eggs, Total Nerd Girl, Cormag Ravenstaff, overtired **(I really tried to implement your suggestions in chapter four, so I hope you can see a difference!)**, Mr-Watch, Guest, and selenia-sopheria~***

**Thank you guys so much! :3**

**Anyway, onward! But first, here's a key, if you need it! ;3**

_Blue = Chrom, Starchy = Frederick, Teach = Vaike, Specs = Miriel, Slim = Lon'qu, Whiskers = Panne, Ruffles = Virion, Sparky = Ricken, Pots = Donnel, Twinkles = Maribelle, Princess = Lissa and Trippy/Stumbles = Sumia! :3_

***~Happy reading!~***

**:)**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Friendly Competition**

This morning I woke up to someone staring at me.

It was that... Stiff guy. Frederick. I only remembered his name because he'd given me such a rough time last night. Badgered me for an hour before bedtime while we were scouring the castle for any sign of the enemies about my 'motives.' Seemed like he was pretty sure I was gonna stab someone in the back, but the thing of it was, I was just glad that no one was aiming to do that to me. For the first time in years, it felt relieving to not worry about turning away from a friend or someone and embracing the fact that they might just take me out if they felt like it.

It was a transition, that was for sure. Shifting from a group that hadn't seen clean hands in years to one that washed theirs after every righteous battle was definitely a change. Still, it didn't make being the new guy any less interesting.

Everyone's got questions and observations they've gotta ask and share, and they need answers and responses. Since the assassination mission at the castle, they'd all been pretty interested. A little skeptical at first, but Blue's got a good head on his shoulders. He told them about our agreement and they understood. He also made me a Shepherd. I didn't want to be a spot on their glass, but he told me it "came with the deal." And hey, a new contract was something I needed after that whole castle fiasco.

Saving Trippy probably didn't hurt, either... Er, nickname's a work in progress. Truth is, if she hadn't let Blue know I wasn't a killer, I wouldn't be here. And even before that, her popping Kasper in the face saved my pastries. If she just fled like I was expecting her to, he'd have stuck me and laughed his ugly, stupid head off while I bled to death. The humiliation would have been... blech. It's not like I worried, but I did wonder what happened to the big lug. Never saw him again after I squashed his peas.

Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Clyde either. Bummer. I really wanted to watch his face turn into that one that looked like a goblin.

Turned out they and that tall, disfigured guy were trying to assassinate the exalt. The sweet lady that wouldn't hurt a fly, even if it had been buzzing around her head for an hour. It just made sweeping the castle free of those mutts even more savory and victory for the right side that much sweeter. There wasn't anything I'd do to screw this up; this was one contract I wasn't fixing to soil.

Anyway, I just kind of scoffed at Starchy's caution and reassured him that there was nothing to worry about.

"Often times the most likely to assault will say such things." He replied. After stuff was squared away and we were sure the castle was safe, he and Blue walked me to a room that was mine for the night after everyone dispersed. It was pretty classy, and was bigger than my house. I noticed a little trinket on a shelf above a mirror that looked like it may have been worth something, but I reminded myself of the bag of candy attached to my belt and plopped onto the bed.

"I shall keep my eye on you," Starchy said, before Blue dragged him out.

This morning I realized that he hadn't been lying. The moment I opened my eyes, my heart jumped and I groaned. He sat there in a chair right next to where I was sprawled out like a star, and his face was just... stuck. His eyes were unblinking and he was staring at me with his head propped on a closed fist.

"Morning," I mumbled. I had never really been very good at waking up. Especially if it was the best nights' sleep I'd had in ages. Did have a nightmare though. Thom was pretty shredded in it, and a giant strawberry filled cake was in the back, just sitting there and I couldn't reach it. Not a big deal, but it was kinda spooky. In any case, Bob and I had never really invested in new beds, and they were cots to begin with. They were alright if you had nothing better, but the backaches in the morning were never very much fun.

It was then that I noticed that the guy still hadn't responded. He just stared and his eyes looked dead.

"So this is how it's gonna be, huh?" I thought maybe he was giving me the silent treatment for being a-

He snored. Wait a tick.

He was asleep... Ha. I felt my sour mood drop and a smile creeping up on me. The longer I stared back at him, the more funny it was. I sat up to get a better angle, but couldn't believe I'd actually live to see the day where someone mastered the art of sleeping with their eyes... pfft. Those suckers were wiiiiiide open. I flopped my head back to the pillow and laughed at the ceiling, until I heard him inhale sharply.

He blinked probably somewhere close to forty times, glanced around for a minute and gave me a bewildered look.

"Did you teach yourself to do that?" I chuckled.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, the eyes-open thing?" He had no idea what I was talking about. "Pretty clever if you did. You could scare the beans out of people doing that."

"Right, then... " He paused, clearing his throat. "Anyway, I have taken the liberty of ensuring that your intentions are earnest and that your ties were cut to those who invaded the castle last night."

"Er, So you've been sitting there-"

"Because in fact, you _were_ a part of said group."

"...For how long, exactly?"

"Since you fell asleep. Your muttering awoke me a few times."

Good grief.

"That's a bit..."

"Do not praise me for my conscientiousness. I am simply doing my duties. I think you will be glad to know, however-"

"Disturbing, actually." And a little embarrassing. There were too many times that I woke up with some article of clothing tossed across the room that I had been wearing when I passed out, or five or six suckers in my mouth when only one was in there before.

"Oh? ...Do you not feel safe with me hovering over you while you slumber?"

"Hmm. Yeah... no." I paused. "Not especially."

"No matter. Regret does not prosper where it is not due. I am serving House Ylisse, and that is all that matters."

"...I'm sure Blue appreciates it." He was an odd fellow. Dedicated no question, but strange, all the same. I guess it made sense, though. I probably wouldn't trust me, either; especially in the same building as the nobles of the country. If he was expected to protect the little nuggets, it'd be on him if I turned around and made a fool of them for trusting me.

"So er... What time is it, anyway?" I eyed the window and noticed that the sun hadn't even come up yet.

"Hm, I would say somewhere in between four and five in the morning."

"Crivens, is it normal for you people to be up at this hour?"

"Sometimes even earlier, given the-"

"Frederick! Are you interrogating our new ally?" Blue walked in through the already opened door. I knew my headband was riding up and guessed it was probably time to rise and shine, so I pulled it down and sat up.

"I would hardly call it interrogation. Simple means of intimidation, M'lord."

"Is either one necessary?" He asked. "Still, I am impressed with your vigilance... I suppose."

"I don't think I've ever heard you once extol me for my ways prior to this moment, M'lord. I shall have to mark day this on my calendar."

"Har har. Just remember from now on that Gaius isn't one of them, Frederick. He's a friend; Sumia wouldn't be here if it weren't for his actions."

Aw, Blue...

"Perhaps. But-"

"But nothing. I take it that you've finished your preparations for today's march?"

"Yes. And you'll be pleased to know that our new 'ally' has passed for now." He stood, stretched, nodded at Blue, and left. After that, Blue took his chair, pried the sucker from my cheek and made it a point to brief me on the plan for today. Said we were escorting the exalt to the Eastern castle; along a path to the northeast that no one knew about. Said it'd be a pretty uneventful day, but full of walking. No complaints there.

"And don't mind Frederick the Wary, either." He chuckled and I took the sucker back from him. "He can be a pain, but he means well."

"Ah, no worries, Blue. I just wonder how much sleep he got, is all." He winced when I put the pop back where it belonged and smiled at the taste.

"Blue...? Er, right." Silence hit us for a second and he continued. "Well, if he's asleep on his horse later, we'll know why, huh?" He gave me a wink and stood.

"Might be a good idea for you to roll out of bed and eat something a bit more filling than candy before we hit the road."

"Is that where you're off to?"

"Not yet; I've got Shepherds to wake up. Some of them can be grizzly when their sleep is interrupted."

"Need some help?" I grinned. Waking people up was always fun. Maybe not the way Frederick did it, but...

"Really? You're sure you want to? Rorie throws things."

"It'll be fun, I bet. Besides, you can learn a lot about people by the way they handle mornings." A quizzical look spread across his face, followed by a smile, and he finally motioned for me to follow him. I made sure to literally roll out of bed for good measure, but nearly fell into the nightstand next to it. I hadn't realized my leg was asleep. He laughed and shook his head.

"Graceful." He said.

"The most graceful you'll ever meet."

We left the room and as expected, being on the wake-up committee was a barrel of fun. Everyone was so different and had their own little weird quirks; I had never seen anything quite like it. Benji woke up with a tap to the shoulder or the tiniest sound, so all of these tricks that Blue knew were way beyond me.

"Teach" was already awake and covered in sweat from his giant, ego-crushing "muscles never sleeping" and their fixation with lifting, Specs had some special systemic routine necessary to prying her eyes open; we had to pinch her cheeks and ask her some question for her to wake up and answer. After a long, drawn out answer and a yawn, she put her glasses on and asked me if I supposed the "flavor of confections" came from the "the sensory glands that inhabit the tongue," and then wanted to know if I thought they "instilled the same tastes, regardless of the consumer." It caught me off guard, but I just told her it was possible unless the person's tongue was burnt. Then, probably not.

Stahl needed the smell of food to wake him up, Lon'qu, Slim, heard the door open and groaned loudly, and Virion was stark naked when we woke him. Everything was just... hanging out and the damns he could have given didn't exist. He pulled himself out of bed and put some slippers on to open the drapes and the window. He made sure to comment on how "crisp" the morning was.

Blue had to tell Sully about Virion and she looked pained and grimaced, but then started laughing. "Ruffles is a piece of work."

Whiskers' room was something neither of us were very comfortable approaching, but thankfully she was up and at 'em before we could even knock. Her um... fur was matted in places. I asked her if it was easy to untangle, but she just shook her head, told me I was a "dense man-spawn" and closed the door on us. I didn't even try to go into Twinkles's room. She was... something else. Glared daggers at me all last night and not only didn't shake my hand when we did introductions, but scoffed at it. It made me wonder if... nah. Oh well. Guess Blue had to go it alone on that one. I stood outside when he woke his sister, too.

Sparky was already up, and smiling at the mirror when we got there. "Hey, guys! I think I've grown and inch taller," he said.

"How tall you are doesn't matter, Ricken." Blue said, and ruffled his hair. Sparky pushed his hand away and scowled.

"Ugh, I'll be right down."

We knocked on D...Don... er... Pots' pot to wake him up. There was another guy, but I don't quite remember who it was... hm.

I took a few blows to the face when we hit Rorie's room. It was almost like she was a wild animal that was being cornered and was trying savagely to escape, but Blue and I weren't allowing it. It made me wonder what was going on in that head of hers. A bar of sudsy soap and a boot connected to my cheek and nose and I think I just narrowly avoided a book, but Blue took the brunt of it. He had to actually go in and shake her to get her to open her eyes and apologize. Despite her sleep-raging, he handled her like a kitten.

"There really has to be a way to wake you up that doesn't involve this sort of thing every day."

"I would say maybe you should refrain from disturbing a lady's beauty sleep, but then again, we've already established that you don't think of me as a lady." She mumbled. "Isn't that right, Chrom?"

"Er..."

Ha, awkward... Maybe Blue needed a few pointers.

"But I apologize, regardless... I should probably stop letting the fighting we've been doing take hold of me in my sleep."

"No, don't worry. Dreams plaguing you?"

"Nothing that should concern you," She replied, sitting up.

"I always have concern for our chief tactician." He said, smiling. He bushed her bangs away from her face, tensed and pulled away. Thought maybe that was out of their comfort zone a bit, but I think she relished it, despite the astonished look she gave him.

"And... b-besides. I can't say every morning isn't entertaining."

"Alright, well, I'm up!" She said quickly. Her face was as red as a cherry. She got up and rushed us out, muttering something about needing to change. By that time, everyone else was awake and moving except for one last Shepherd.

And hers was the only room I was a bit reluctant to enter. I wasn't sure how she was feeling after almost losing her head and passing out last night. Blue said she had a knack for verbally abusing herself, and it frustrated him. He said it'd probably be worse, today. He didn't even bother knocking and just went right in. I just stood in the doorway.

"If you get the chance, try and make her feel better, would you?" He whispered.

"No prob, Blue. 'Better' is my middle name."

He approached her, spoke gently, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, saw him, and yanked her blankets over her head with a groan, but he pulled back.

"Seems like you're feeling better, hmm?"

"Noooo..." she grumbled. "I am so sorry about last night, Captain." Her light voice was muffled. "I was stupid and dumb and useless and horrible-"

"That's enough. You did what you could in your situation, and -even better- you stayed alive." He said, and she peeked her head out from beneath the quilts.

"You don't have to lie for my ego's sake, Captain. I can handle the truth."

"The truth is what I'm telling you. I'm sure Gaius agrees, right?"

"Er..." I had been spacing out at the long, curling strands of brown that were poking out and weaving and looping against the pillow she was laying on. They looked like streams of chocolate. "Yeah, of course."

"Gee, I'm not sure you could have sounded any less enthusiastic." Blue mumbled and elbowed me, looking pleading and expectant. Thing was, I wasn't especially savvy with articulating sympathy and the... uh... fairness of her face was distracting me. Everything was always so cut and dry with the killers, so we never had much time for coddling or anything remotely similar. Even so, I thought I'd be at least a little better than this. I didn't wanna let him down or anything, but I was just really struggling to be... cool. My tongue felt all twisted and my head was searching frantically for a good response.

"It's okay, you guys." She said, sitting up. I watched her stretch and bite her lip, but shook my head in an attempt to hopefully concentrate my attention elsewhere. Stared hard at the floor for a minute before bringing my gaze to Blue.

"I'll just get ready and hopefully be less horrid today." She said, pushing the mounds of covers away.

"No, you'll be _great,_ Sumia. _Great_." Blue told her. He tore his glower from her to me, and raised his eyebrows. She studied him and frowned. Looked like she was about to say something, but I had to make sure I shimmied my way into the conversation before it forgot me. And before Blue bopped me one for leaving him out to dry.

"No joke." I said, with a nod. "If you bring that same spunk as you had last night, you'll be golden."

She was quiet for a minute, and looked critical.

"That can't be... All I did was trip and run into things and get in your way." She said. "And then I _passed out_!"

"Nope. Not so, actually." I said. I mean, she did trip and run into things and hit me with a door, and then faint, but it was like I said before.

"I'd be one of those gooey, chocolate-covered marshmallow kabobs you see on snack stands that are doused in sprinkles if you hadn't interfered with the tiff between me and Ugly." I paused. "Just... minus the sprinkles."

"And the chocolate." Blue gave a relieved laugh.

"Yeah," I smirked. "Exactly."

She didn't look much more inspired, but did grace us with a small, brief smile and a giggle.

"But-"

"No 'buts.'" Blue interrupted, crossing his arms.

"Er, but... well, okay..." She said finally, tossing her legs over the side of her bed. "I'll just try really hard today to make up for last night."

"That's the spirit!"

"That's what I like to hear, Su." Blue said, smiling. "Just remember how much we need you when you're feeling down on yourself."

She didn't say anything, but it was clear that she acknowledged our efforts.

After we left, we didn't see her again until we were on the road. We went downstairs and joined the rest of the Shepherds for a giant breakfast, but not before chatting a bit about how slow I was to reply to her self-hatred.

"Thought 'better' was your middle name?" I made sure to change the subject and asked about his word-stumbling – perfect nickname- when it came to talking to the tactician. He just turned beet red and ignored me. I gave him a probing smile and a nudge.

There were mountains of food covering the table on shiny plates and cleaning it up didn't take anyone very long. Especially after I submerged everything I ate in pools of syrup. That made it so... so... good. Not that it wouldn't have been if I hadn't; in fact, most food was good enough by my standards. Benji and I hadn't eaten a real meal in who knew how long. We always just ate toast. Lots and lots of toast. I mean, I was never unappreciative of what Benji brought in, but he was sick of toast, too.

I remembered the last time we were about to eat, he just stood up, swore a bunch and threw his pieces at the wall. The jam was like glue. Now that I thought about it, letting Bob know that I was still alive when I got the chance might've been a good idea. I didn't know what the future for the Shepherds held, but I did know if I got the chance sometime in the next few days, I'd try and do that.

**. . . . .**

I thought the walk today would have been more relaxing than anything, but it really wasn't.

At the start it was okay, but the longer we trekked on, the hotter it got. In fact, majority of the time we spent outside was full of defending my mood from the heat. We were traveling with some jittery, suspicious old guy with a tall, stupid-looking hat and some green robes, the captain of the pegasus squadron for the castle, six of her troops and the exalt herself. Figured it wouldn't be very good of me to snap at anyone. But really, the old man was sketchy. And I knew sketchy.

At the moment though, I was more worried about Stumbles. Rorie had told her to stay grounded to keep our location from being fleshed out and each time I glanced her way, she was keeping a steady, cautious pace but somehow managed to get her feet braided anyway. Guess it wasn't just the dark that caught her off balance. She had one arm linked with Sully's and the other was wrapped around the reigns of her flapping brown horse. And then she tripped.

I had to admit, the narrow path we were on was made up entirely of these loose rocks that had even almost got me off my feet a couple times. Maybe her clumsiness wasn't completely her fault.

"Your gaze always deviates back to the same place." Slim muttered. He'd been silently trudging next to me, every now and then wiping his forehead free of the sweat that was building there or coughing at the dust that was kicked up in front of him.

I think I just figured watching her was something that I needed to do. After all, I didn't want my efforts from last night wasted; if I could help her avoid tumbling into a hole or something, I would. Didn't help that she was walking extraordinarily close the edge; to our right was a massive, gaping gorge that was wider across than the slab of rock we were walking on. I didn't even want to think about how far down it went.

"Forwards is a little hard to ignore." I said with a sly smile, disregarding what he was referring to.

"No. Not forwards."

"It bothering you?"

"Not the act itself, but you bite on your sucker each time you do it and it makes a grinding noise that my ears do not appreciate."

"Er..." I started, maneuvering around a big rock that got in the way. "Sorry, Slim. I'll try to keep the grinding to a minimal."

Hey, wait.

"What about _your_ gaze?" He'd been staring off at the blonde princess for the last little while.

"Hm?"

"I spy someone's eye..." He gave me a look.

"No." He said sternly, shaking his head.

"Smothering a princess-"

"Shhh!" His eyes darted around quickly and when no one responded, he sighed in relief and his shoulders dropped. "I am her bodyguard. Nothing more."

"Then shouldn't you be a little... I don't know, closer to her than this?" Princess was walking next to Blue and Starchy and Rorie at the front of the group. Even though we were towards the middle, I could hear her complaining about blisters from here.

"N-no. This is a fine distance." He paused and his face got all red.

"In fact, I may even prefer a little bit more, now that I think on it." At this, he just stopped, but I watched as Specs walked straight into his back. She had her nose buried in a book and looked more irritated than anything when her path was interrupted and her glasses were pushed up.

"Honestly, Lon'qu." She huffed, and continued on her way with a scowl plastered to her face. He scrambled away from her like she had some sort of disease and landed into me and I nearly lost my footing. Thankfully I only fell back a step, because if I had gone over a little bit further, we would have slammed into Twinkles and her horse. That would have been a nightmare.

"Gods, Slim!" I groaned. "You're more wired out than an addict without his fix!"

"It... it is just-"

"Ladies've got you all-"

"No! N-nothing!" He pushed himself away from me, folded his arms, furrowed his brows and walked briskly ahead. I just smirked and swapped my sucker stick out for a swirly purple hard-candy. Down the rocky slope a fair distance away, the path wound to the left and was shrouded in overhanging trees. Yes... ...shade.

I didn't get to admire our approaching comfort for long, though. In that instant, some big rocks slid down the incline to our left, and two blokes with axes followed. They didn't take the time to speak and instead used the momentum the hill granted them to hurl themselves at us. The one threw his weapon at Stahl, who would have been a dead man if he hadn't noticed the attack at the last second and moved. I was ready to help him out, but Sully and Teach dove in to protect him.

The other one took a swipe at Twinkles, and while I'm sure Virion- Ruffles could handle it, he was slow to react. I felt my stomach turn as I tore the handy sword Blue'd given me from the sheath at my hip. Made an effort to get rid of him, I did, but I ran into someone who took him out before I could. Someone big, tall, and covered in silver armor.

"S-sorry about that." He said. I just shook my head dismissively. No harm done, but I did wonder why I hadn't noticed him before.

"Blast it! How did they know of our location? Is everyone all right?" Blue shouted.

"We're all fine, Darling," Twinkles said, brushing a curl over her shoulder.

There were a few more replies, but one grabbed my attention.

"Captain?" Stumbles said, meekly. She was staring out over the cliffs and had her lance in the hand that Sully had left open. She had noticed the brewing problem hovering over the gorge. A flock of black masses were flapping this way. Well, damn. So much for uneventful.

"What should we do?" She asked, pulling herself onto her horse.

"We shall lure the fiends here, and you can just leave the rest to Virion." Ruffles grinned, and Sully scoffed.

"For your bad aim, we'll have to lure 'em-"

Our attention was on that scene, until Rorie's voice ripped us from it.

"Chrom, there!" She pointed ahead, to the path that had previously been clear. It was now crawling with scum, and the biggest one was the old man dressed in green, fleeing from us and into the center of it all.

"Hold Sir!" He cried. "I-I am the man King Gangrel told you about! Did you not receive his orders to take me into your protection?" I knew he was a phony.

I wasn't sure who he was screaming at, but he looked like he was going to have a convulsion. He was shaking like it was wintertime and he'd just been thrown into a frozen lake, but he had good reason to; traitors weren't really ogled with much prestige. Not to mention, these gents didn't really seem like the types to let one slide by without punishment.

After a bit of name-calling and some reactions to the old guy ratting us out, one of their guys just offed him.

"Right!" A man riding one of those big, dark beasts flew down onto the road before us.

"Now for the main event! By moon's end, they'll be erecting statues of me in the capital!" He hollered. His grading voice echoed against the canyon. "Ho there, Ylisseans! Give me the Fire Emblem and your wench of a ruler, and spare yourselves a gory end!"

From where I was standing, he looked like an ass. Didn't think they wanted a statue of an ass.

"Phila, keep Emmeryn to the rear of the column," Blue growled. "We'll take care of these blackguards."

"Yes, Sir."

And just like that, it felt like we were diving into something I wasn't sure I was ready for. Regardless, I put my best foot forward and hoped the proximity to my allies would help me out a bit. I wasn't very adept with weapons; while I could pick locks like no other, dealing a blow was another story entirely. Then again, I figured for now, while I got my head wrapped around this new business, the Shepherds could pull the weight I wasn't carrying, just as long as I was trying.

Since it was really just a swarm of baddies coming our way, most of us stayed pretty close to one another and slowly moved forward in a couple of loose lines. Whoever came near was caught on fire, or stabbed with something, but they apparently didn't mind all that much because they just kept coming. I was between Pots, who had been repeating his goals to make his 'ma proud, and the cliff edge Stumbles was riding her winged-horse over. I almost looked down, but decided against it.

Rorie mentioned something about a couple defensive marks around the exalt, Phila, and their feathery friends, so Ruffles and Specs took those spots. Noticed something dashing up the rocks on the side of the cliff, and shifting into a rabbit thing. Guess Whiskers was taking it upon herself to keep a bunch of guys from traveling down while we progressed forwards.

Just ahead, beyond a few thugs rushing at us, I saw a bowman.

I didn't really take the time to think about much, but his eyes were locked on Stumbles, who was more preoccupied with the riders racing across the gap in the earth. It figured now would be as good a time as any to prevent her from being shot and thrown into a hole like I had anticipated earlier_..._ So instead of thinking, I ran forwards with my blade outstretched, and ripped at the throats of the two guys in front of me who were blocking the way.

It was messy and I felt the sting of something hit my arm and blood strike my face, but continued anyway, taking note of how close the bastard was to taking a shot.

I tackled him when I got close enough and knocked his bow clear out of his hands, but wasn't sure what to do after that. Despite my recklessness at the castle against my former pals and the two guys I had mauled to get to this position, the expression on this guys' face was... pathetic. And he was whimpering. And... disarmed. I almost felt bad, until I felt a sharp burn embed itself into my shoulder from behind. I could've been wrong, but I was pretty sure someone had hacked into me pretty good.

That's what I got for dawdling. Ugh. I guessed I just needed Benji to remind me to fight to kill.

With that thought in mind, and reminding myself that this slime had intended to shoot Stumbles, I gritted my teeth, sliced him good, stood up quickly and turned around to watch my assailant take a lance to the face and a big, brown, pegasus speed by. It was a little disappointing, but I was thankful...

It just meant I had to repay her.

"You're a bit of a savage. You know that?" Blue smirked. "Rash, but aggressive." If we were being honest, I felt a little less savage and a little more sick; feverish and a tad bit woozy. Probably from the blood loss. His face changed and he felt my face. Frowning, he turned me towards the group that I had apparently outrun by a fair distance.

"Guess I got a little carried away," I mumbled. "Sorry, Blue."

"Don't be," He said. "I'm just glad you're alive." I watched as most of the Shepherds caught up and surrounded us. A few were laughing, but most were concentrated.

"Lissa! Fix him up and head back to your post, would you?"

The princess bounded toward us and pointed her staff at me.

"Well, for him I guess. But you could ask a little nicer next time!"

Looked like she was focusing really hard because her face was turning colors. I wasn't really sure how those healing doodads worked, but boy did it spruce me up. I felt better within just a couple seconds. I thanked her and she told me to stretch.

I figured it'd probably be smart to stay with the group now that I got a second chance, so I did. That didn't mean I could shirk my payment back to Stumbles though. I mainly aimed to off the archers scattered around, but each time we drew near one and I took care of them, she retaliated by killing someone else who happened to be on my tail. It was a grueling process, but eventually I just started slashing at whoever I could get my grubby mitts on. By the end of it, I was pretty sure I was beating her nineteen saves to fourteen, and I planned to let her know who was victorious.

I wasn't surprised that almost no one got hurt through the entire squabble. These sheep herders were serious warriors. Came closest to injury when the riders came strolling in like storm clouds. We had a bit of trouble with that, but I think Specs and Sparky really took the cake with their wind magic.

There was another girl who flew into the picture on a white pegasus, sobbing her head off. Could barely understand her chatter, but everyone seemed to know her. Told whoever would listen that her group had been demolished by the enemy, and I could tell that just fueled the groups' spark. After a while, we had only that annoying statue guy left, and he was huddled behind a big rock wall. We found him, dragged him out, and Blue dealt a fatal blow to him quickly.

Even so, the guy had enough life in him to plague our ears with his spiel about how the exalt was fleeing from her problems back at the capital. I wanted to be nosy and listen in on her conversation with Blue after the deed was all said and done, but it seemed like a tense conversation that most people were happy to avoid. I'd have to ask him about it later. After all, an unhappy leader was an unhappy camp. Clyde had taught me that one.

I was just glad this all went down before it got dark. Could've been a lot uglier had we taken an extra twenty minutes for lunch, earlier.

Everyone just loosened up took a much needed breather and stretched, and I made my way to Stumbles. She was giving her pegasus a good pat, and rubbing the sides of its face.

"You did such a great job, girl." She cooed. The horse flicked its tail and nuzzled her face. It was kinda... sweet. Speaking of, I pulled a caramel cube from my pouch and plopped it into my mouth.

"You feeling better?" I asked her.

"Oh, hey!" She said, beaming. "Erm... what about _you_?"

"I asked you first," I replied, giving her a wink. She pursed her lips and scrunched her face up.

"I'm... better, yeah. But you... you got hurt. Are you okay?"

"It was a close shave, but it would have been worse if you hadn't dove in there."

"I had to repay you for saving me from that archer." She said simply. "And for last night."

"Well right now..." I started, hoping I was right about how she'd react to this approach. "You're still in debt five."

She stared at me wide-eyed for a few moments, and then blushed and dropped her gaze to the ground.

"Oh, I-I..."

"You got beat." I smirked, and she flicked her pretty browns from the land back to me. I watched the tiny movements in her face shift until her embarrassment was gone and replaced by understanding and a playful grin.

"Just wait 'til next time." She said.

* * *

**Okay, so maybe the 'fuzzy' interactions I was referring to last chapter were a bit scarce, but you could see some things, right? ;) I tried to make this more of a transitional chapter in terms of Gaius's placement in the Shepherds and with certain people, so that way the chapters to come will feel less abrupt. It was a big shift for me to write such uppity things after writing four, fairly heavy chapters to start out with so I hope things don't seem out of whack or character! It takes place during the chapter seven: Incursion events!**

**We've got a bit of Freddy, eyes open action, some weird wake-ups, some fuzzies between Rorie and Chrom, and some fighting! And also, a bit of nudity. Thanks Virion. He's so FAAABULOUSSSSS!**

**Also (on that note, haha), I'd really like to give a shout-out to my pallie-pal _Mr-Watch_. We've been good friends for a few years now and chatting with him has been time well spent! I appreciate the fact that he's always so generous and helpful with and away from stories, even when I can be a bit difficult sometimes. So thank youuuuu! :D It's also been really great watch his writing improve! Speaking of, he's currently writing a Fire Emblem story called _Be Careful What You Say _that is an absolutely wonderful piece of writing. If you're interested in Oliva/Avatar, or if you just really fancy a good read, go drop by and let him know what you think! I know he would appreciate it, and you might find yourself addicted! I know I am! :)**

**For next chapter: the fuzzies intensify! ;3**

**With all of that said...:**

_**Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated; they're like presents to me! If you've got the time and have questions about anything at all, please feel free to leave one, or PM me! I'm always excited to meet new peeps! :D**_

_**~*Have a great day/night!*~**_

_***Thanks again!***_

**:D**


	6. Caught Me

**Oh, hello there! My name is Liar-foo! Nice to meet you!**

**jsdghdgf Anyway, I am so sorry for taking almost an extra week for this chapter. I'm also super sorry that it's considerably shorter than the previous two. That may or may not be a good thing depending on your preferences, but I hope the content is enough to let it slide this one time! DA FLUFF. I'll keep my yap shut for now and let you read after I finish giving some much deserved recognition! :3**

**BUT I BLAME MY NEW JOB. Just hit me with something for making excuses! :')**

**~*_Mr-Watch, Total Nerd Girl, Strawberry Eggs, Guest, selenia-sopheria, and ExposedWiresExposedVeins__.*~_ **

**I just have to let you guys know that you're fabulous and awesome and wonderful and I appreciate you so much! I can't get over how much your support has meant to me. You really encourage me and my writing; I always take the constructive reviews into consideration and make adjustments as necessary. So thank you again, AND THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU WHO'VE FAVED/FOLLOWED! You guys are awesome! I just hope I'm not disappointing anyone!  
**

**ANYWAY, ONWARD AND HAPPY READING!**

**:)**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Caught Me**

My brain must have been frolicking somewhere in the clouds of Stupidville when I told Gaius that he just had to "wait 'til next time."

Not only did it make me seem like an arrogant arse, but they. were. just. words. The enthusiasm for such an silly challenge didn't exist anywhere, because there was just no way I could leap into battle and out-save _him_. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to say... because honestly, I felt excited for him coming up to me at all. But I mean, I spent most of my time in fights just trying to make sure I didn't slip and fall off of Ember, so I knew it was far from possible for me to make what happened earlier today happen again.

My thoughts were all attacking me at once, so instead of sleeping like the majority of the camp was, I laid there on the ground, curled up in a ball in my tent. There was a bit of a draft, so I made sure to hug myself tightly under my four fluffy blankets. They smelled a lot like the fire Frederick had built us after the ambush, but didn't cushion me from the rock that was digging into my hip. I could hear the owls that were perched in their branches hooting, and Virion snoring in his tent nearby. I listened to him silently for a while, hoping that somehow his sleep would influence the same in me, but it didn't; especially since he started mumbling something about 'shapely legs' and a 'fine torso.' I giggled because it didn't take me long to figure out who he was referring to. He'd had his eyes on Sully since he joined the Shepherds.

I didn't blame him though, because Sully was really pretty. She enjoyed it when I told her that, and even though she made sure she didn't seem like she cared about her appearance, I knew otherwise. She told me once that she knew she was tough, but that it didn't mean she wanted to be treated like a rock all the time. She said that sometimes it was just nice to feel like she was attractive, even if she did blush a bunch and say stuff like "Dammit girl, no." or "Stoppit before I throttle ya." whenever I told her she was. I smiled at the thought, and shifted to get off of the rock.

Gaius popped into my head a few times, too. I tried to keep him out, but he was just... there. I mean, I didn't have anything close to a problem with him and he was sort of a nice image to have floating around, but he just... he made me feel like Chrom did. He made me feel helpless and dumb and pathetic, serving as the constant reminder that I had failed lady Emmeryn during the assassination attempt, but then at the same time, gave me inspiration and made me feel like I was actually a competitor in the little game he played during the fight today.

Since he became a part of our group, he had been that little corner that hadn't been breached by the light, and I found myself wondering about what his life had been like before now. I knew all about Chrom, and Lissa, and Frederick, and Sully, and Stahl, and Ricken, and Maribelle, and Miriel, and Virion, and Cory and even a bit about Kellam, but he was just like the start to a new mystery novel. What really struck me was that he was familiar with some of the killers in the castle, and yet he so desperately clung to the idea of saving me.

To be honest, I thought what I did know about him was really interesting. And I had to admit, he was quite handsome, too. This morning when he and Chrom woke me, I was surprised at how much the blood cleaned from his face made a difference. I tried not to stare, but he reminded me of how Nicolas was described in _The Hole in Wyvern Cave_, except a bit more dashing than I was imagining... And real.

Er... a-anyway, if I gathered up enough nerve, one of these days I may just find myself tripping my way into his dark corner with a lantern.

I gave another thought to the way he smelled and his deep, relaxed voice, rolled back onto my side, and exhaled.

Even if I did investigate him a bit more, it wasn't like he would feel the same interest in me. I wasn't much to look at and probably the most boring person in the world, but I supposed maybe I could glance at him from afar or something.

I didn't want to get up, but I felt a nagging pressure in my gut that told me I had to use the bathroom. I scrounged up as much strength as I could and sat up, making sure that I had at least one blanket shrugged around my shoulders to keep the breeze from eating at me when I left. There was a glow from the fire outside the tent a little ways away, and that helped me fumble around and search for my slippers. I pulled each one on when I found them, fighting to see past the nest on my head, and unbuttoned the little latch that kept the front of my tent sealed.

Standing let me know that my legs were sore, and that they probably needed a good stretching. I wasn't really sure why though, but I thought maybe it had to do with the walking all day. Anyway, I ducked under the top of the tent and started forwards, but I felt something catch and hang onto my foot. Sure enough, I was falling again.

"Oof!" I muttered, but I... I guess instead of hitting the ground, I landed against someone. Even so, not one step of theirs was taken back by my weight, and their arms fastened around me. Not only was I sure the chest I fell into belonged to a male, but I noticed that they kinda smelled like... mint. Oh gods.

Gaius.

"I-I'm so sorry! Gods Sumia, you've just gotta be the worst-"

"Hey, take it easy," he mumbled. "You all right?"

"Er..." I looked up at him and he gave me a smile. I was just glad it was dark, because otherwise he would've seen my uncontrollable blushing. I hadn't really been this close to anyone besides him lately and I couldn't help but let it fluster me. It didn't make matters better when I caught his cool green eyes locked on mine and felt his strong arms supporting me..."Mhm."

"Good," he replied. "Just keep it down, would you?"

I nodded, remembering that we were standing in the middle of a pathway that was smack dab in the center of the camp we had made, and that everyone was sleeping. After today's emotionally and physically draining mishap, the Shepherds needed their rest. I felt especially bad for Cory and Lady Phila for losing their companions, but I knew they were tough. Chrom and Lissa were in a bit of a pickle too, but I had high hopes that Emmeryn -despite returning to Ylisstol during these dangerous times- would be okay. She was a smart woman who had managed to stride her way out of plenty of bad situations with her head held high. Not to mention, I was sure we would get back to Ylisstol with the reinforcements from Ferox, soon enough.

Anyway, it was around that time that I realized that I was still using Gaius as a wall for my weight from the fall. He wasn't struggling to hold me up, but I was just kind of leaning into him with noodles for legs, and my fingers were clenching both the front of his cloak and the blanket covering my shoulders. My head spun at the overwhelming scent of minty pastries.

"You sure you're good? Looking a little pale, there."

"Yeah, I'm really okay," I started, finding the ground with my feet and loosening my grip on the cloth. "Just sorry for falling into you." I took a step back, but lost my balance on the loose terrain. I saw him reach for my arm, but I fell too quickly for him. After feeling the impact on my bum and trying my hardest to avoid cursing at myself, I watched him kneel down to me with a smirk on his face.

"Y'know, I think I get why you ride that winged horse, now."

"My blunders at the castle didn't already let you know how much of a clod I am?" I frowned. "I thought for sure you were annoyed by me..."

"Actually, I thought you were endearing," he teased, and winked at me. "If our lives hadn't been at stake, my standing on the matter might've been more apparent."

I just scoffed. Maybe I wasn't free of the jeering just because he was new to the Shepherds... but thinking on it, he'd saved me and I supposed I did deserve it. I didn't want him to think I couldn't take a joke, so I guessed lightening up wouldn't kill me. And maybe somehow, if we got to keep talking, there could have been a chance that I could help him forget what I said about 'next time.'

"Thought I'd give you a bit of credit and say it was the dark that tripped you," he grinned and extended a hand. "but I can't make excuses for you forever."

I took it and was reminded of how safe it made me feel. He pulled me to my feet with an unexpected ease and looked me over. I bet I looked like I had been trampled by a hoard of angry cows. It seemed to be common after confrontations like the one we'd endured today, and I knew the weather was frizzing my hair out like crazy.

"Say," he started. "where're you off to at this hour, anyway?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep, but..." I stopped when I noticed how critical he looked.

"So you thought traversing around at night in the middle of the woods would help?"

"W-well, no," I huffed. "I had to use the bathroom."

"Oh." He cleared his throat. We were silent for a moment, and the owl that had been hooting and the crackling fire were the only noises we could hear. It felt awkward at first, especially since I had just confidently exclaimed my um... need to take care of _business_, but after a minute or so, the expression on his face got to me. It had never been a problem with the others when we made it known that we had to make a potty run, but I remembered that he hadn't been with us for very long. He almost looked hurt by what I said, and my embarrassment melted away.

"Heehee." I snickered, taking a step towards the opening the fire rested in. He followed suit and raised his eyebrows.

"So, you guys don't have like a... a buddy-system?" He asked finally.

"Why, did you wanna walk me to the nearest shrub?" I joked, and laughed again at the face he made. That is, until it shifted into a sneaky smirk.

"No, but it might smart for me to carry you there. You know, for when you decide to biff it again."

"Another clumsy jest?" I asked, acting completely baffled. Regardless of the fact that he was exactly right, there was no way he was coming near me while I tinkled. "I was expecting more from you. And besides, I never decide when to say hello to the ground, it just...happens."

"Maybe your standards for my japes are too high." He smiled, but it faltered. "And maybe you'd meet it less if you set aside some time to untangle your legs instead of using it to annihilate yourself."

I might've took that wrong, but there was something to it that stuck a tiny nerve in me... At least, that last part. I thought it maybe was the stomach-wrenching feeling that was attached to _why_ I felt the way I did that ached. But then again, it could also possibly be the fact that no one had really seemed to have a problem with my outlook on myself so I hadn't been expecting it. In any case, I figured if he stuck around with the Shepherds for good, he'd get used to it; just like everyone else.

Anyway, I ignored it and tried to make sure I looked rascally, but couldn't think up a comeback that wouldn't make me sound like an idiot. _Well, maybe the ground should... move? _Or _I like my legs tangled!_ That one sounded like it had to do with eggs. Or was it... scrambled? I almost said something about the chocolate stuck to his chin, but instead felt the urge to wipe it off for him.

"You all out, Joke-Master?"

"N-no! I just..." I stopped walking and 'itched' my chin to hopefully catch his attention and get him to do it himself, but he just looked at me like a nut. Alternatively, I did the dumbest thing I think I had ever done. Ever.

I actually cleaned it.

I licked my thumb, leaned into him, gripped his shoulder with one hand, and rubbed the spot on his chin until it was gone. He wasn't sure how to take it and just blinked as I did it... and I wanted so badly to die afterward. I just stood there, staring at him like some stupid, dumb girl who'd just rubbed spit on his face. It was like that time I had washed Chrom's underwear for him without his consent and delivered it to him in the middle of a meeting at the garrison... The embarrassment was bigger than any of the wyverns we fought today, or all of them put together. Or better yet, the giant crevice I almost fell into sixty times.

After a minute, I watched a grimace form on his face and felt my heart sink into my toes. "Chocolate?"

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, and I brought a fingernail to my lips. "I just-"

"I like to leave it there for later," he paused and scowled at me. "so you oughta be. Chocolate like that comes at a hefty price."

Oh... Gods. This was the end of any sort of interactions to come between us... I had just ruined his snack for later. _And_ wasted expensive chocolate. I was on his black list. That was what I got for being impulsive and getting ahead of myself. Of course, Sumia. Of course. I was pretty sure there was a hole Miriel had almost walked into on the path a little ways back, and I kinda felt like finding it and staying there a while. Maybe a year or... twelve. This was why men didn't like me. This. Oh... I felt faint.

I tried to muster a response, but instead looked to the ground and stared at the dark torrent of stuff there. Some twigs, a couple leaves, a rock or two... A lot of dirt... Anything to keep my mind off of the fuming man in front of me.

"Can I buy you some more?" I mumbled, but in that instant, I felt two hands firmly embrace my face and lift it.

"I'm kidding, Stumbles," A toothy grin crept onto his smooth face and he chuckled. "Kidding. What kinda bloke you think I am?"

"I-" I couldn't believe that. Another... joke? Stumbles? Talking to him was like riding a crazed pegasus caught in a wind storm. "B-but you... seemed so serious!"

"Shh, I know," he said, and let his grip on my cheeks fall to my shoulders. "All a part of the occupation. But... I will take you up on the offer. If it still stands, that is."

"Er, which-"

"The buying chocolate bit."

After this comment I started walking again, but made sure to give him a playful push as I passed him. The relief I felt was tremendous.

"That a no?"

I couldn't help but laugh. It was probably too loud, but after everything I had felt tonight and today, from my competitive streak with Gaius to when Cory had wept into my shoulder for what seemed like hours up until now, it felt nice to do it.

He chuckled and we walked until we finally met the grassy clearing, adorned in some big rocks we'd found and used for seats. A pit with a blazing fire sat in the center of the opening and I noticed, perched on the flattest rock nearest to the fire, Donnel sat. He had a stick in one hand and prodding the burnt wood at the bottom of the flickering flames. He was also leaning so close to the pit, I thought for sure if just one wind came by he'd be pushed in. I almost didn't recognize him because his pot was resting in his lap and his tousled, slate blue hair was exposed. He jumped when he saw us, but covered his fear up with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, shoot. I reckon I'm no help if I didn't even notice y'all standin' there."

"Are you up on your shift, Donnel?"

"Yes ma'am. Not sure how much longer I got, but I-"

"You're done," Gaius said. He walked passed me and patted him on the head with a friendly smile. "Go get some shut-eye."

"Really?" Donnel asked. "You sure, Gaius? Was pretty sure it was Miss Panne's turn to hold the fort down."

"Not if I take her shift, right?"

"Darn, that's a mighty fine gesture; I'm sure she'll appreciate it." He paused. "Heck, _I_ appreciate it! Saves me from havin' to wake her. She's a scary critter."

"Tell me about it," Gaius nodded. "But hush hush, she can probably hear every. Word. We're saying." His eyes widened and halfway through that, his voice fell to a whisper. Donnel looked troubled, but stood and switched places with Gaius.

"Only if you're sure, Gaius," Donnel said. "Stayin' up all night is rougher than catchin' a pile of muddy swines."

"I take it you've had to-" Gaius started, and Donnel just nodded.

"Yup." I felt a smile return to my face at the thought, but felt bad. Donnel was just there in my head, in the rain and covered in mud, calling for the little guys. "In the dark, too."

"Aww," Both Gaius and I groaned.

"Ah well, it wasn't any big deal. 'Ma and I rounded 'em up real quick like and we were back inside in a jiffy."

"Glad to hear it." I said, with a smile. I clenched the blanket tighter; it was getting chillier.

"You stayin' up, too, Miss Sumia?" Donnel asked, approaching me. It didn't hit me that if Gaius still wanted to talk, it could take me to the morning. Not that anyone would want to talk to me for that long... I had never pulled an all-nighter, except once when Lissa was having trouble with her adoration of Frederick. She wanted to stop it because he was "_So_ hard to please," but she said it was impossible because he was "_So_ cute." I just told her that it was okay to like him, and even if he did seem like he didn't observe her actions towards him, it was probably just a ruse. That was just the kinda person he was. I also let her know that he'd be a sap to not notice someone as charming and adorable as she was. But that was a while back... It made me wonder who she fancied now.

"No, she's not. She's gotta pee and hit the hay."

"Ah, that's good, then. A lady's gotta grab up her beauty sleep where she can in times like these, I reckon." Donnel smirked. "Not that you need it or nothin'."

I felt my face get hot again, but gave him a disapproving look. I needed every bit of sleep I could hang onto to not look like I had died and come back.

"Oh, please. I'm just surprised none of our comrades have mistaken me for a risen, yet."

Both of them just stared at me blankly and shook their heads.

"Y'all need sleep, it seems. Your brain's all cloudy." Donnel chuckled and continued passed me to his tent. "Thanks again, Gaius."

It was silent for a few moments while Gaius unwrapped a candy that looked a lot like a cat, plopped it into his mouth, picked up Donnel's stick and started poking at the dirt. "Well, get a move on." He said.

"Are... are you sure you'll be okay to stay up?"

"Yup. I've got enough sugar in my system to keep me up for a week."

"Well... alright. But wake me up if you need some sleep, okay?"

"You bet."

"Or some..." Company.

"Some..."

"Nevermind. Sorry for falling into you. Goodnight!"

"...Night."

I turned from him after giving a good, long stare, and trudged my way into some bushes nearby, making sure that he couldn't see me from where I was. After taking care of business, I walked to my tent, keeping my eyes on the ground the whole way, and flopped onto my blankets when I got there. I eventually snuggled under them, and by that time, my head was swimming with the thoughts of what had just happened. It was exhausting enough to try and catch all of them, but to make sense of them... that just seemed downright impossible.

Instead, I got comfy, closed my eyes, and after accepting that none of it would clear up tonight, I imagined Donnel and Gaius and me chasing pigs.

* * *

**Heehee. **

**Soooo, I think you could call some of this fluff? ;3 This was originally going to be two sections, but decided today after getting most of it done that it'd be beneficial to leave it as a solo piece and pick up where we left off with our lovable, chocolate-chinned Gaius. ;) It works out better for what I have planned. PLANS, HUA?! No way! xD**

**Anyway, I really hope this turned out to be something that was anticipated. It's just the start of their development and stuff, but I had a ton of fun writing it and I think it'll lay a pretty good foundation for everything that's to come! I also really hope that the length is forgivable and everyone seemed in character and whatnot! :3 I promise the next chapter will be done within the next two weeks, and if not, you can... throw some dirty shoes at me or something! But in all seriousness, I'm going to try my hardest to keep a consistent pace from here on out, especially with school out of the way!**

_***QUESTION**_** TIME!***** And be honest! ;D**

**How many of you were fooled by Gaius's reaction to Sumia wiping his chin free of the chocolate?**

***END QUESTION TIME!***

**Anyway, thanks again to everyone who've taken the time to read/fave/follow/review so far! You guys are wonderful. I seriously have the best reviewers in the world! **

**All of that said, if you've ever got any questions, wanna offer suggestions, are plagued by curiosity, or just wanna chat, I'm always free and up for PM's! :) I love meeting new peeps! I also enjoy reviews, but I'm not gonna ask anyone to take the time out of their lives to do so! I know everyone is busy and there isn't always something to say about certain things, but I appreciate the ones I do receive more than you could know!**

**So again, thanks everyone! I hope y'all are doin' better than a rabbit (Or a Panne!) in a cabbage patch! *shot***

**:)**


	7. Timing

**TAKE COVERRRRRR KIKI, GET INTO THE BOMB SHELTER! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! TOO LATE! BAM, BIFF, BOOSH, KABLOOEY! *Dies***

**Soooooooooooo, I would totally not be mad if people just left right here and now for me being such a loser-butt! I had this chapter all planned and stuff, and was typing fine in my free time, and then this last week happened. This week, work decided to be a bunghole and eat my life without a day off for over a week straight, during a holiday! x.x It was crazy busy and I know I probably sound like a total baby, but there was hardly any time to sit down and relax before I had to wake up and spend my 8 hours at work again. :( **

**herpeirudfjskf, AAAaaaaalllllllll babyish things aside, I finally got today and tomorrow off to finish this bad boy and give it to whoever HASN'T forgotten about it, and start on chapter eight...:')**

**I wanna do something different for the A/N's, so I'm gonna save the recognitions for the endnote! You guys are just too awesome to have a tiny snippet at the beginning of each chapter! :'3**

**For now, ONWARD TO THIS WACKY NONSENSE THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! :D**

**~*HAPPY READING!*~**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Timing**

When you're awake all night by your lonesome, you really get to thinking.

Nothing too deep, but... I had a bit of Stumbles on the brain. And how much I loved these stupid, delicious cat-shaped taffies. I was sure they were the culprits behind my mysterious weight gains, but I just couldn't shake 'em from my diet. From what I could see though, the Shepherds would get me fit as a fiddle again in no time and knock that candy fat outta here for good.

In any case, it was pretty chilly tonight. I rubbed my arms for the warmth the slowly dying fire didn't provide, but it was pretty much useless. I thought back to Stumbles and that lavender blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders, but instead of fetching one for myself, I just chewed harder.

I guess when we set up camp, I hadn't realized how near my tent was to hers. Before I put myself on watch for the rest of the night, we had a run-in that I wasn't anticipating and it brought up a bunch of... rubbish in me that I couldn't really put my finger on. It was confusing to say the least, but it did give me something to ponder while I sat around and waited for morning to come. I was pretty sure it was on its way soon.

Benji always said that women were weird, but I guess I kinda brushed it off until now. Said most were the same, but if they weren't then they were someone to keep close. To be honest, every lady I saw around town that'd give me a look, or came up to my stall in the market with a bit more intent than a purchase seemed the same to me. I guessed maybe that was why I'd never invested much energy into pursuing, or making priority of them. That and my line of work; it was a full-time ordeal because if it wasn't, you'd starve. Not only that, but it was dangerous all of the time. Your head was at stake whenever you made a commitment and signed a contract, and you'd pay in blood if you were clumsy or screwed stuff up. The worst of it was that it wasn't always_ your_ blood that spilled over blunders, and Bob had experienced that firsthand.

It discouraged me to be sure, but also just made me wanna work harder to avoid that sort of thing. I had some rotten pieces of my past that could've potentially been a problem if I ever considered starting something with someone, especially as of recently, and Benji told me specifically to take care of that junk before doing so. I made it a point to keep it in mind, even though I was young and stupid and just scoffed at him before telling him that girls had the kinda cooties I didn't want to catch.

I gave the charred logs beneath the fire a poke with the stick Pots'd left, shook my head and waved away what smoke I could from my face. I wasn't sure why budding relationships hit me in the first place, now that I thought about it. Eh. Instead of questioning it further, I pulled another taffy out of the pouch on my leg, hesitating before unwrapping it. After plunking it into my mouth and giving a quick glance towards Stumbles' tent, I stood up and stretched. Figured maybe a walk around camp would get my blood flowing and wake me up a bit.

First thing I noticed, aside from Ruffles babbling sweet nothings in his sleep, was the silence. I could only hear my own lazy footsteps in the dirt as I started away from the crackling fire. The last time I'd heard it was when I was on the run after purposely botching a big mission.

Some corrupt "noble" -who seemed more savvy to the dirty clockwork behind the face of things than I did at the time- wanted me to blackmail some other noble guy. I was uneasy about it, but the pay was better than usual and we were desperate. I knew there was a catch, but he didn't let me in on that until I had already signed papers. Told me either it was the noble guy, or his little girl laying under the ax... and I wasn't about to go on with the rest of my life with the death of a kid sitting on my shoulders.

After disgracing myself and my values by pleading my head off in court with Benji's help, and giving as many puppy looks as I could muster, they decided I wasn't guilty for the crimes at hand and sent the innocent noble guy to jail. That gave me time to not only go home and throw up the rainbow assortment of candy I'd eaten that day from the stress, but to write an anonymous letter to the court and let them know about the unexplained excess of treasury gold locked away in Mr. Employer's vault at home. B told me it was a good thing I did, but that I had to run and stay away for a while, to avoid Mr. Employers friends after he was convicted. So I did just that. Ended up in different parts of Plegia for a while, and then snuck aboard a boat that took me to Valm. Most nights I slept outside, so I heard this quiet whenever I decided to hit the hay during that solitary part of my life.

On the other hand, I stole me some foreign goodies, so that was a plus. Plegia didn't help with that at all, though, because Plegia was crap. It was hot and stuffy, full of creeps, and wasn't good for anything as far as sweets went, but Valm... Oh, Valm. Just made a trip there with Bob a couple weeks ago. That was actually where the chocolate Stumbles had wiped from my chin came from. It _would_ have been expensive, if I had, y'know, paid for it. I admit though, I was a little miffed that she didn't taste the bit on her thumb... or at least let me if chocolate wasn't her thing. But maybe that would've been a little too... huh...

But, uh... anyway, the look on her face after she did that was hilarious. I probably would have spent more time laughing at how mortified she was if I wasn't feeling the same way. Thing was, no one ever touched me. Not ever. And if it did happen, it was a rough, violent, push or grip to my face or something, and most commonly by a ruffian; not some pretty damsel, clinging to me for dear life. The fact that she lingered against my chest after I caught her, inexplicably did its fair share of damage to my brain and coherence. That wasn't it, either, 'cause it seemed like the rest of me suffered, too. My arms -that had instinctively locked around her to offer better support- were rigid, my body was tense and my stomach felt like it'd just endured month old berry tarts... But despite my wigging out, I gave her as much of a smile as I could until she found her legs and pressed herself away from me. Thankfully she seemed to buy into it, until she lost her balance again and fell faster than I could catch her.

After that it was an uphill climb to forget the contact with jokes and whatnot, until she decided to touch me again. The gentle, careful rub of her finger to my face was enough to make me lose my head, but that just meant I deserved props. For never having experienced anything like that before, I was pretty damn proud of myself for keeping my outward composure cool enough to not let her suspect I was uncomfortable.

By the end of our company together, I wondered about the lot of going-ons that occurred, but the one thing I questioned more than any of it, was whether or not she had any romantic connections to anyone. Not... for my own personal benefit, but to make sure that if I let my gaze wander in her general direction during confrontations or something similar, I wasn't waltzing myself into bad blood between some other gent in the group. Management only knows that's happened to me before.

All musings and flapdoodle aside, it looked like I had drifted pretty far from camp, enough to have walked down into a valley passed most of the surrounding trees and into a bigger clearing that was covered in flowers... And flowers were perfect victims for those honey-making pals. I may have just found where I'd spend my time after the night shift was over.

Figured I'd best head back before someone noticed there were no eyes on camp and blew a gasket. Just a hunch, but I think his name might've been Starchy.

**. . . . . .**

There was a real art to bee watching, but no one seemed to embrace it quite like I did. Or at least, not that they let on. I had strayed away from camp after I was sure people were up and at 'em this morning, and dropped myself off in that clearing after breakfast just to do it. Seemed I was the only one. A shame, really... but that just meant I didn't have to share whatever delicious rewards came of it.

Despite the nasty, warm breeze ruffling my hair and the ache in my arm from a sting that I shouldn't have let myself get, this clearing was perfect for honey-hunting and had flowers that made it easy to stalk. All eye level while laying down and not close enough together to look like one giant ocean. It felt good to just rest there on my stomach with my chin on my hands, all the while staring at this one bee that flew in circles over and over again. Didn't seem like he was leaving any time soon; probably forgot what he was doing... must have been one of those idiot bees. Anyway, I was so relaxed and sleep deprived, I might've fallen asleep if I hadn't heard someone screaming my name.

"Heeeey, Gaius," it sounded like Stumbles. I glanced back towards the camp, through the thick shade of tall, lanky trees. If she came this way, she'd be in for it; there were ruts here and there and everywhere in between me, perched at the bottom of the grassy incline, and camp. It might've been in poor taste, but I wouldnt've minded if she did attempt it. After all, who didn't enjoy a laugh every now and again? I mean, there was a lot of grass that acted as potential cushion, and as long as she didn't faceplant and lose a couple of teeth or something, it'd be fine, right? "wheeeeere are yooooou?"

I turned back towards the bee, but it was gone. Gave the area a scan, and-

Wait... there? Aha! There it was; still flying in circles, but this time, around a really ugly, urine-colored flower.

"Oh, there you are," It didn't take her long to sound like she was right there next to me, and as much as I wanted to view what could've probably been a funny fall, I had a bee to keep my eye on. Besides, I could watch Stumbles trip any time I wanted. "Gaius?"

Perfect. It stopped its circles and flew towards the other edge of the clearing, close to a few flowers huddled together. I squinted, 'cause the bugger was pretty far away. I was ready to dash after it the moment it decided to roam into the woods and head home, but instead, it landed again. Wasn't long before it was up and buzzing, though.

"Gaaaaaaius!"

Just focus, pal. Watch the bee.

"HEY! GAIUS!"

Ugh, guess not.

"SHHH!" I hissed, throwing my gaze to her. Stood there at the top of the hill right above me and stared down at me with her big, questioning eyes and fluffy hair. "Quiet down, would you? Can't you see I'm busy, here?!"

I almost felt bad for snapping at her, until I realized when I checked back that the bee was gone. For real this time.

"Oh, sorry..."

"Aw, horse plop. It flew away." I grumbled.

She frowned in response, and walked slowly down the slope with one foot in front of the other.

"_Ow_!" As expected, the ground and her feet didn't mesh and she fell on her ass, but I was surprised at her reaction to it. Rather than handling it silently like a seasoned pro, she yelped out like a bear bit her butt and her eyes started watering.

"Hey, you alright?" I got up onto my knees and turned toward her, just to be ready if she needed some help.

"Mhm." She nodded, biting her trembling lip and the tears back. She wasn't quite finished with the hill yet, and instead of scooting down the rest of the way on her bum like I thought she would, she stood up again, and continued, with a grimace.

"Need me to-"

"No, no, no, I'm okay."

"Lying isn't your forte, Stumbles, so quit it."

"Neither is walking," she muttered, stopping about halfway down. Even so, she still looked off-balance. "but practice makes perfect, right?"

She tried to be playful and gimme a smirk, but it came out a sorry excuse for one. Looked like she was really hurting.

"If you shattered your tailbone or something, no amount of practice'll fix it-"

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that." Shook her head and continued, but that first step was all it took to send her tumbling down the rest of the way. It probably should have struck me a bit sooner than _she_ did, that if she fell down the hill she'd land on me, but... seemed my brain was M.I.A. like that bee.

So there I was, sitting innocently on the ground at the bottom of a hill in a piss-poor stance to leap out of the way, while she unintentionally dove headfirst into me. There was an initial explosion of pain against my face, and a unyielding force that knocked me to my back. I felt the hard heavy metal of something pressing into my nose so much that there was just no way it wasn't bleeding like a faucet. I was pretty sure most of her body was using me as the cushion I referred to earlier, but I was the one who was probably missing teeth; that and most of my calm disposition.

I was certain there were some no-no's as far as what was touching what, and where, but... neither of us seemed aware enough to actually fix anything. At least, not right away. I could feel a knee painfully close to my groin area, and her hair was not only in my mouth, but had also found a way to reach my neck enough to tickle it.

"Owww..." She groaned, and I could feel her heart racing on top of me. I was sure mine was doing the same. I felt... hot and edgy, but inhaled once to steady myself. Might've been a more enjoyable breath in if this damn metal wasn't so intent on grinding my nose into oblivion. I was beyond ready to remove it from my face, so I slid my hand along something clothed until I got a grip on it and hoisted her up, but it wasn't her shoulders I was pushing against like I thought... it was her um... her breastplate.

Wow, smooth. If I wasn't the only thing holding her up and away from my throbbing face at that moment, I would've dropped my grip on it. 'Cause I mean, while I worried she'd misinterpret me after this little fiasco, I was also pretty sure a broken nose wouldn't look good on a mug like mine.

I think it took her a minute to realize my hands gripping each... arch and when she did, her eyes just widened. The sooner she freaked and tore away from me, the better. I tried to shimmy them more towards the part that _wasn't_ her chest, but by that time she'd found her arms and planted them on either side of me. Or at least, her upper half. Unfortunately her lower was still dead against me. Her long locks hung around me like a curtain and instead of creating a bunch of distance between us, she just stared, which almost felt worse. Was kinda like she was searching for the saint in me but wasn't finding him. Her face turned an ungodly shade of red, but her gaze never left me; even when my breath shortened and my eyes darted to anywhere and anything but her.

I just really needed some of that outward composure I had before, but I figured it was pretty much outta the question for me to find any after this mess.

"U-um..." I started, blowing a few strands of her hair out of my mouth. I exhaled shakily and gave her a quivering, half-smile. C'mon, chum. Get it together.

"G-gods, I..." she gasped, as if she'd just realized my leaking nose. She attempted to reach for my face to wipe the blood that was spilling over everything, but I stopped her. That was enough physical contact for one day. After that, she lifted herself all the way up and flopped down beside me. "I don't know what to say..."

I didn't either, but I managed an apologetic tone and response, after sitting up and recovering from my head-rush. "I don't usually let myself get grabby like that... So uh, sorry, Stumbles."

"It's okay; you didn't mean to. And... if I wasn't such a klutz, it wouldn't have happened, right?" She folded her arms across her chest and gave me a faint smile. "If it's not too weird to say, this actually kinda reminded me a bit of a novel I finished reading a while back."

I scrambled to pull a much-needed sucker from my belt pouch and savored the taste as soon as it touched my tongue. Almost instantly, my brain started searching for what to say next, after catching up with everything that'd just happened. Game plan; book, similar situation, and then...give her a sucker to keep her mouth shut about this.

"...Did the girl in the book do it on purpose, or did she just have impeccable timing?"

"Well,_ she_ did it on purpose," she pouted. "but I... I would never-"

"-So you've just got the timing, then." I grinned, pulling out another pop and offering it to her. I was almost disappointed because it was a red one -my favorite- but I decided that being picky wouldn't help in letting this little incident pass us by as fast possible. It was relieving to think it was actually headed in that direction. I shrugged. "Well, no harm, no foul."

"But Gaius, this is the second time_-_"

"Just keeping me on my toes, Stumbles."

She ignored me. "Plus, the blood is _everywhere_! If that's not harm, then I don't-"

"Geez, do you always worry this much?" I grimaced. Her face softened at the thought, and she seemed to accept my nonchalance about the situation. For a split second, at least. "Besides. If you can forgive me for... er, y'know, then I can forgive you for losing your balance once or twice."

"Well... I mean... but-"

"Hey, shhh," I said, swiftly.

"But-"

"Take it."

"Ugh," she sighed, and gave me a defeated look, followed by a half-hearted smile. She took the candy, hesitantly. "only if you're sure."

"I am."

There was a short silence, one that was long enough for me to wipe my nose, and notice both the crushed pink flower guts caked on her cheek, and the pollen from one of those pee flowers in her hair. Seemed like I wasn't the only one staring. She gave me a quick once-over before smiling.

"So um... what flew away? What're you doing, anyway?"

Oh yeah. Ha.

"I'm bee watching.." I paused. "Or at least, I was."

She raised an eyebrow before her grin grew. "Oh, I didn't know you liked insects!"

"I don't," ...At all. "I was just trying to figure out where that little fellow lives."

Her response didn't come quickly, so I took the time to wipe my upper lip this time. She looked up like she was thinking really hard until a confident grin returned. "You mean it's hive?"

I gave her a 'duh' look and-

"Aha! NOW I get it!" She exclaimed. Her prior worries washed away with the breeze that slid by, which meant, for the moment, that mine followed right along behind them.

"...What do you get?"

"You're looking for bee larvae!"

Bee... larvae? As in... bee babies? Like, the little white worm things inside the combs? The _maggots_?

"Ugh, gross. No!" I wrinkled my nose at her. That was about the last thing I ever wanted to try. That and year old feces. Oh, and human. That wasn't on my "to taste" list, either.

"They're considered a great delicacy among fine society back at the capital." She said. So it was fancy-folk junk, then. More justification for why I'd never tried it, and why Stumbles was so darn weird; seemed a common noble trait. "You'd think it'd be yucky, right? But it really depends on how you eat it."

She paused and gave me a playful smirk after studying my face. "Raw, it's kinda squishy-"

I was pretty sure if she continued this, my nose wouldn't be the only thing on me that was gushing. "-but if you cook it, it's sweet and crunchy. You know, I kinda had a feeling you had a sophisticated palate."

"I have NO idea what you're blathering about, Stumbles," I grimaced. "but I'll have you know, I'd never subject my mouth to that kinda torture."

"Hey! You should let me help you find some!"

"Some..."

"Bee larvae! I mean, since I scared your little bee friend away and all... and then fell on you." She seemed really excited about all of it, until she realized that last bit and frowned. It didn't seem like she heard much of what I had been saying the past few minutes about _not_ wanting the maggots, and since that bee tore outta here, I didn't have much left to do. Not to mention, all this talk about chewing up baby bugs didn't really sit well with me. Then again, neither did feelin' up a girl I barely knew. I needed some cakes from my tent.

"Uh... wow, look at the time!" I said abruptly. "I gotta fly!"

"Oh, gods, you're right!" She looked frantic and rushed to her feet. I followed suit, but not near as quickly. And... not quite as off-balance. "So, so, so totally right! I completely forgot I was supposed to be grabbing you and heading back to camp for our leave towards Ferox!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes!" She was about to tear off up the hill as fast as her scrawny legs could carry her, but I caught her arm before she could.

"Wait, so..." I cleared my throat. "Um, you think we could keep that little mishap under wraps, Stumbles?" Bad reps didn't make any job easier and the last thing I needed was for Blue to think I was someone he couldn't trust as far as he could throw. Her eyes scanned me intently for a minute, and I was afraid she'd refuse. If that was the case, I was always prepared for a little bribery. "You know, between you and me?"

"Of course, Gaius. I wouldn't dream of putting your butt in front of Sully's boot, after all."

"Er, Sully would-"

"Yeah, she's a beast when it comes to that kinda thing. But no worries," She winked. "no one will know, as long as..."

"Go on...?" Crivens, maybe she had more control over this conversation than I did.

"...as long as you make sure to let me know when you go out again! I insist!"

Without waiting for my reply and a giggle, she started her climb up the hill in front us. I couldn't help but notice the small black mark on the rear of her dress, probably because it looked like a... bee. I was ready to swat it off, but I caught myself. No more dirty stuff. Plus, the little guy looked like he was smashed into the fabric. Guessed she must've sat on it when she fell down the hill, which had to have been why she was in so much pain. Not to mention, the fact that she got herself stung meant it wasn't a threat to her anymore. Though, the sooner she got that stinger out, the better off she'd be.

"So, you wouldn't happen to know of any tips to subside the pain from bee stings, would you?" She seemed sheepish when she stopped and turned towards me. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought she was reading my mind.

"Actually," I paused, gave her a crooked smile and wiped my chin from the blood I knew'd seeped there. No blood, no proof of our collision. "yeah. Yeah, I do. I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve for that sort of thing."

"Oh, that's great news." She said, but she was distracted by what she was searching for in the small brown satchel hanging from her belt. Pulled out a frilly white cloth and held it out to me. "Here; since you won't let me wipe it for you."

"I don't wanna stain that-"

"Gaius, this kind of thing is what cloths like these are used for!" She smirked. "Silly."

"Looks like the piece of frill Ruffles has hanging from his collar. You steal it or something?" I joked, and she laughed and shook her head.

"You can use it to plug your nose if you want."

"Or not."

"Well, I guess you could just wipe-"

"Listen Stumbles, I just really don't feel comfortable ruining your-"

"It's a napkin," she scowled. "take it."

"No."

"_Take_ it."

"_No_." She waved it in front of my face, and I took a step back.

"...Please?" She pouted. Wasn't making this easy.

"Maybe if I knew how much it was worth-" But she didn't let me finish. Instead, she shifted her frown into a playful grin, threw the cloth at me and then hustled up the hill.

She definitely was a weird one.

* * *

**So maybe this was not what you were expecting and maybe things are a little funky and maybe I'm not sure about it myself, but I do think- HELLO C-SUPPORT! I know it's not just straight c-support all the way through and maybe that ruins it for you, but... I just hope it hasn't! :c I tried to make it flow well, and it seemed appropriate for Su to muse over the taste and things.**

**STARTING THIS TIME, THIS NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE OUT SOON. SOON AS IN: WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. THAT IS A PROMISE. HOLD ME TO THIS PROMISE. :'3**

* * *

_**~*Anyway, I really wanna recognize and thank everyone who's supported me and my inconsistent postings and crazy craziness, whether it be with reading, favorites, or follows or reviews! You guys are more wonderful and amazing than you know, and have helped me a ton in the production of this story! *~**_

***Total Nerd Girl, thank you so much for everything! :3 I worry a lot that my characterizations come off weird, but I'm glad to hear that you think they're okay! sjdfhsklf I had so much fun writing Donny. I don't know why, but hillbilly accents are the most fun to type out and practice out loud, hahaha. Those and British accents. xD Anyway, thank you so much for your support! I hope all is well! :) P.S, I love your writing. **

***Strawberry Eggs, OH YOU! I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE! xD Heehee, I really super appreciate how understanding you are of how long these chapters take to come out. All of your support and comments on things make my days so much brighter, even if I never feel like I deserve them! Perhaps Lissa might enjoy the company (even if the company is like a million feet away) of a certain myrmidon- WAS THAT A ROY MUSTANG QUOTE OR ARE MY EYES DECEIVING ME? You have all of my love, girl. All of my love! :') But yes, your continued support has just been so very very appreciated, and I can't thank you enough. :) **

***Mr-Watch, oy bro, please get well soon! I don't know what kinda bug you've got, but it doesn't sound too pretty, so hang in thereeeeeee! Awww, shucks. You're too sweet, honestly. Like, it really makes me happy to know that you wonder about pieces of my story at all! Lolol, Donnel is so fun to write for, it's not even funny. I get to exercise my inner hick-from-the-sticks accent! ;) Thanks for errythang! :D**

***red lilies, jksfksdlgns thank you so much! sdfhskjf ;w; When I read your review I got teary-eyed, and my heart was filled with so much joy, I just couldn't even handle with it. :') I tried to do her some justice, so I'm glad to see that it came out to your liking! I am definitely aiming to flesh her out a ton! :3 ****THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! :3 **

***xX-Coventina-Xx, aren't they the cutest darn things? When I read them, I couldn't help but d'aww every other word. All of their supports were just full of facepalms and adorableness! Mwahaha! I'm not even sure I knew how that chocolate thing was going to go down when I was writing it! xD But ohhhh goodness you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you like her characterization. *v*shdfkjdg Thanks so much! :')  
**

***selenia-sopheria, Oh you clever girl, you! ;) I seriously had so much fun with Donnel. I think there's a southerner in my brain somewhere that has a hoot whenever he comes around in anything. But guh, I am so sorry about my lameness about replying! I promise I'll get on those right away! We have such good conversations and I've been such a loser... Of course! I really appreciate people who take the time to show me my errors, because more often than not, my editing process is a little wonky and misses like... certain important aspects of editing that could really make a difference, haha. x3 I really hope to keep a realistic pace for their relationship, so I hope it seems that way from here on out! :3 Thanks so much, girl! You're so wonderful and I love youuuu! ;w; **

***Calliptus, YOU ARE SO AWESOME THANK YOU SO MUCH. I don't know if you'll see this, but after reading your review I checked out your tumblr and was so excited, because I google fanart for Sumia and Gaius (Who're my ultimate OTP *v*) and I learned that I've come across your work a bunch of times! I LOVE it, btw, and if you ever wanted to draw any scenes from my story, I would be honored! OH POSH YOUR ART IS GREAT! So adorable! I've actually been working on a cover for this story, but haven't liked anything enough to use as one, so if you did decide to draw a scene and if you were okay with it, maybe you'd let me use what you draw as the cover? Anyway, thank you so much and I hope everything is going well with you! **


	8. Warmth

**AHEM, PERMIT ME TO CLARIFY. *-***

**I think you deserve at least that much! o_o To be blunt, I really disliked how I went about last chapter. ;w; It was ill-planned and wayyyy extensive, not narrowed enough, and my expectations were so high for it that there was just no way my stress-attack week could have pulled it off! :s I tried, but ALAS UGGUMS CHAPTAR.**

**So I'm personally thinking of what I posted last week as 8 as sort of a "teaser" chapter, kinda like what artists do with WIP's and stuff because It was like one of my drafts that got out of the DRAFT CAGE and posted itself! xD Sooooo, for this week, I shoved it back into the draft cage with the other rabid uglies and gave it some pretzels to distract it! :3 Mwahahahah! **

**I just hope you'll forgive me for the massive gap between chapters, plaguing your eyes with last chapter and being a loser! I also hope you'll consider DIS WAN the real deal for rilz! c:**

**I really want to thank errybody who reviewed, followed, faved, READ, and put up with my gnarly ish and my ridiculous imagination for this long! You guys are wonderful and fabulous and I love you so don't forget that! ;w; **

_**Smashing Skunk53, Strawberry Eggs, and Darkened Dusk get supar props for reviewing the last chapter that was deleted! ;w; You guys are awesome! Thank you so much! :3 (BUT ALSO: selenia-sopheria, Mr-Watch, Strawberry Eggs again, red lilies, Total Nerd Girl, and calliptus, TOOOOO!) have some pm's to send, so I'll get on those soon! ;)  
**_

_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAALRIGHTYYYYYYY! I won't keep you any longer!**_

**~*HAPPY READING AND THANKS AGAIN!*~**

**:)**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Warmth**

The journey to Ferox was a cold one, but even so, snow had always been my favorite.

All of the trees and their branches were covered in the thick, sparkly fluff and there was just so much serenity, it felt nice to be in the presence of it for once. It was almost like we were in that painting I saw in the market, except with snow this time. The scenery was so pretty, it didn't seem like it could be real. The dark trees surrounded us pretty heavily, but between them, I could see the sun lingering near the horizon. It was leaving its glimmering traces of pinks and oranges on the undisturbed snow that we'd passed by, and I sighed after studying it for a few moments.

Lately, all we had been doing was fighting in the heat, so the calming snow and silence around us was something I had to embrace while I could. Speaking of embraces, I pulled Sully's arm that was locked around my own a little closer to me. Even though we'd been up this way before as a smaller group, I don't think any of us remembered how gosh darn freezing it was. We'd been traveling for what felt like forever and hadn't stopped to break, because we worried that we'd turn into ice sculptures if we let our pace slow.

Even Sully's horse, Sadie, who was standing on the other side of her and sheltering us from most of the chilly breezes that slid by couldn't protect us from the biting cold in the air that seeped into our skin. I thought maybe Sully and I could make a fort to block the wind with our horses, but Ember was in love with this weather and there was no way she'd stay grounded. She had been flying around over the top of us for majority of our trip, and was whinnying like a crazy peg until she got used to it and quieted herself down.

"That demented thing had better not poop on us." Lon'qu growled. I just gave him a nervous smile and told him she probably wouldn't, but he scoffed and turned away without a word. I had to admit, he was a little scary sometimes. But then again, I was sure spilling juice on him this morning probably didn't make him hate me any less.

Anyway, though most of us had thought about prying all of our blankets from the camping gear out and snuggling with those while we trekked, Rorie worried it'd leave us in a vulnerable state if we happened to run across foes, all bundled up with our arms occupied. I mean, dropping them and springing into battle wouldn't be difficult, but then we'd be stuck with a bunch of soggy blankets that we really couldn't afford to lose. Especially in ___this_weather.

"Enemies around here are probably scarce, but after the confrontation during our travels to the eastern castle, we can never be too sure." She told us. I could hear the hint of regret in her voice. It was a sad conclusion, but most of us just agreed to forget about them. Maribelle and Lissa, though; they looked so toasty wrapped in their frilly pink and yellow blankets and perched on top of Mari's horse Camille, together.

"Feh, easy for her to say. She's got that giant coat glued to her all the damn time..." Sully muttered with a huff. "must be nice."

"Well, m-maybe one blanket to share wouldn't kill us?" I suggested.

"Damn right. Hell, just listen to your teeth chattering-"

"-T-they're not-" I tried to assure her that the cold wasn't stinging my bare skin and that my feet weren't numb and that I wasn't shivering, but either my acting was bad, or she just knew better.

"-You remember that show we went to see about that ugly guy who was in love with the maiden or whatever?" She smirked. Of course I remembered; I cried when they were torn away from each other by the girls' parents, and she made fun of me for it every day after that... it didn't even end well! The man ended up dying inside his of house when it was caught on fire by some of those blasted villagers and the girl mourned until she found another suitor, which happened to be the next day. I always tried to figure if there was some sort of moral, but the only one I could come up with was that people were remorseless and terrible creatures. Some could be, maybe, but I knew not everyone could be categorized like that.

I frowned because nothing good could come from her bringing that up, and she laughed. "Har, and how our ears hurt afterward because of all of that damn clapping?"

"Mhm..."

"That wave of clapping is exactly what your teeth sound like."

"Nu-uh-" not the worst she could have said, I supposed. I was just glad she didn't tell me the unattractive guy from the show was my twin brother, again. I still had yet to come up with a comeback for that one, so whenever she'd tell me that I would just agree and she'd feel all guilty.

"-and your lips are the same color as Ruffles' hair, for cryin' out loud!"

I was just about to jump in and take my own jabs at her by mentioning her frozen snot trail, but before I could, another voice leaped into our banter. It was almost like Virion had been waiting for his chance to speak with Sully, and her referring to him was enough of an invitation. That's when it hit me that I could leave them alone together so she couldn't use me as an excuse to weasel her way away from him as my revenge, instead. How devious... heehee.

"Pray tell," he started. "was that the heavenly chirp -nay-_ c____hime_of my ravishing Sully-dove?"

"Oh hell no." Sully breathed.

"My name has brushed passed your lush lips; is there anything I can do for you? Are you cold, my dearest Sully? Perhaps the fires of my unending passion for you could still the growing chill in your heart."

She glanced around quickly, catching his eyes and watching him approach us from his conversation with Donny. As soon as she realized he was closing in on us from my side, her eyes searched frantically to find a place the opposite way to run to. His grin was bigger and more luminous than I had ever seen it, and there was a growing blush creeping across his cheeks. His arms were spread apart as if he were ready to embrace her, but without another word, she let go of my arm and walked briskly ahead, dragging Sadie along with her.

"B-but, wait," Virion frowned, and chased her. "my radiant sparkle!"

There were a couple chuckles, but I thought it was more cute than anything. Virion was so in love and obvious about it, and Sully was so flustered by the whole thing, she kinda reminded me of how... nervous Gaius made me. I tried to ignore the last thing that had occurred between us earlier this afternoon, especially since it was my fault and I hurt him, but it was a little tough because I felt like he was avoiding me. I guess I didn't blame him, and to be honest, I wasn't sure why he was so nice to me, anyway... I almost got him killed and hit him with a door, fell into him a bunch of times already, wiped his chin with my spit, nearly broke his nose, and then asked him for a favor with the bee sting thing. How much did I want from him anyway? Maybe... maybe it was better that we stayed away from one another for a little while. Giving him some time to recover from me was probably the most considerate thing I could do for him.

Only I could make people so incredibly irritated of me that they needed a break... Thinking on it, even my ___pegasus _needed some distance; maybe it wasn't the weather that was keeping her afloat at all! I couldn't help but groan at the thought.

It grew a little darker as we marched along, and much, much colder as the minutes passed us by. Thankfully the bright snow made traveling at night easier, but it didn't help us with the direction we were supposed to be heading in. Chrom and Rorie had gotten turned around a few times, but by the time night fell upon us, we were back on track.

To be perfectly honest, I felt a little lonely since Sully fled from Virion. I had lost track of how long we'd been walking since then, but it seemed like everyone had at least one person to cling to; Rorie was leaning into Chrom's arm, and I could tell he wanted to wrap it around her but maybe felt a little shy, Kellam was walking silently beside Panne, Cory and Miriel were ignoring Vaike and his questions about how much longer we had to go, Stahl, Frederick and Donny were talking together, Ricken was chatting with Maribelle and Lissa, and even Lon'qu was within the same ten feet as they were... I mean, we were all pretty close together to make sure we trapped at least some of our body heat but... I just wished I didn't care if others wanted to have a conversation with me so I could dive right into one of ones already taking place and distract myself from this aching, freezing air. If I could help it though, I would try and avoid forcing myself onto people, just in case they-

I almost yelped out in that instant, because I suddenly felt like I was getting dressed. Some article of clothing that was both heavy and sweet-scented was forced over my head -rather roughly, too- and on top of my heart pounding like crazy because I was pretty sure I knew who was behind this, I also felt warm.

It was a thick, black cloak that hung around my chin and neck and hugged my arms, and smelled a little more... musky than the fragrance I had previously associated him with. I almost instinctively gripped the sides that were draping down and wrapped myself further into the fabric, but then I realized how warm it was beneath the fabric of his cloak, and it made me think he'd left all of his coziness inside of it... That was why I had to give it up.

I checked him over, noticing the rosiness of his cheeks and nose, and how emerald his already-vivid eyes appeared. I thought maybe that line in ___Florence: Huntress of the Night _about her 'shimmering pools of deep emerald' might've been kinda cheesy, but true; especially now that the moon was high in the sky, reflecting off of the snow on the ground and making everything look all glossy and sparkly. I hadn't really observed it before, but they actually made me envious. Mine were just brown. Not like a pretty brown, like caramel or amber or something, they were just the brown kind of brown. His lashes were nice, too... I guessed I had long lashes, but his were dark and thick and long while mine were just kind of flimsy and stupid.

I felt myself fluster, making sure to turn away before he saw it and thought I had some sort of head trauma. I noticed his bare shoulders and how much faster he was chewing now that he was missing his stuff... C'mon, Sumia; focus. So after preparing myself to feel the sting of the cold again and a grimace that I hoped he didn't acknowledge, I unfolded my arms from across my chest and attempted to pull the material back over my head, nearly losing my balance in the process. Although I was momentarily blind, I could feel his opposition and a tight set of hands on my shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Stumbles," he said in that voice of his, and when I could see him and where I was going again, I quickly recognized the expression on his face as skeptical. "what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm giving you your-"

"-Is it fancy folk manners to do give backs, or what?" he raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Er, not that I know of, but-"

"Then does it smell bad?" he crossed his arms and pulled a red and white striped candy from a fabric fold underneath my chin. Gods, he was taking this all wrong! Or maybe I was making it come off wrong? Either way, I didn't want to insult him or reject his kindness, but I just felt so bad hogging his cloak when I was the dunce who'd left any sort of sense behind and forgot to pack one of my own.

"N-no!" I said. It was more like the opposite... "I just don't want you to be cold when you were the one who was prepared for this, is all."

"Not a big deal."

"But I should have-"

"-Just stop right there," he put his hands up and stared hard at me. I almost felt like he was boring a hole in my face, but I figured maybe it was just my cheeks roasting again. "my blood is pumping just fine, but you... You make me cold just looking at you."

"But-"

"-Noooope; but nothing. You're freezing, I'm not, cloak is warm, end of story." I could tell he seemed super satisfied with himself the longer I was quiet, but I was really trying to figure out what I should do. I mean, if I made him cold just by looking at me, then I should keep the cloak. That wouldn't make him upset or think he was stinky, and I wouldn't be giving his consideration back. But at the same time, I wanted him to be warm, and the only thing I could think of that would make sense, would be for me to give him his cloak back. It seemed my brain was trying to defrost, but it took me a few to come up with my ultimate plan.

We were both silent while I cleared my head free of any irrelevant posh, and I watched his content grin shift into a curious line. He glanced around, and I couldn't help but smile at the snowflakes dusting his pretty, burnt orange hair and sticking to his eyelashes. He blinked them away, and returned his gaze to my own just in time to _almost_ be baffled by my bold, probably discomfort-inducing idea, but I had to finalize it first. Another few moments passed by, and after hearing Lissa shout a loud "_no way!_" and listening to Maribelle give her a bit of grief for it, I was about ready to reveal my sentiment... until a giant wave of doubt hit me.

Not only was I unsure he would even consider it, being all jittery with that sort of thing and all, but I wasn't sure _I_ could handle the rampaging butterflies that were wrestling around in my stomach if it actually happened.

I decided after a few more seconds that I was gonna risk him being uneasy, and be as bold as he was when he put this thing around my head... I just hoped to the gods he didn't hate me for trying, or think I was some dopey, desperate girl, and as soon as I built up enough courage -or idiocy- to speak, I did.

"Well, we could always... share it?" Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods. What was I thinking? Why would anyone want to share anything with me? Not to mention, my voice sounded all squeaky and dumb and shaky and ugh! I clamped my hands over my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut, because his lip twitched and I didn't know what that meant, so I worried it was something about rejection, or repulse, or revolt or worse: hate. I could feel myself perspiring under my armor and my bangs and I just hoped I didn't look as much like a horrible, sweaty mess as I felt. "Th-the cloak, I mean."

I could tell I had messed up by asking like I feared, because he was avoiding my eyes and looking off into the woods, and I could feel the butterflies weighing heavily on my gut. Gods, Sumia... could you be any more of a monstrosity? I wanted to pout and smack myself, but only a couple moments later, his expression softened and he glanced back at me with an understanding, if not playful, gaze.

"Right. You really think we can fit both of our noggins through that opening?" he gave me a toothy smile and I wasn't sure if I should be glad he'd dismissed my stupid, or nervous for what clever thing he had in mind. "'cause I wager it'd be a tight fit with all of that hair."

"Ah," Gods, now I _knew_ I looked like a disaster. I tried to flatten it with my fingers, but ended up finding more problems with it than I could fix without a brush. He chuckled at my attempt to solve the issue that was interfering with my idea, but even so, he bent over just enough to swipe up the end of his cloak, and held it in a tight fist before wrapping it around his shoulders and reeling himself into me.

I could almost not breathe, when I felt him press against me, but I took small huffs until they made me start to feel a little light-headed. I was just so overwhelmed with everything that my regular breathing was choppy and then too controlled and I knew he could tell I was struggling to find my composure. I could feel his arm against mine, and the top of my hand touch his, but didn't want to make him feel any more tense and leave me any more breathless than I already was, so I folded my hands and lifted them, along with my side of the cloak drape-thing, to my chin.

"Is this better?" he asked, his voice low, and soft. It matched perfectly with the little clumps of snow that were drifting to the ground, and glazing over the dark and brittle trees. "You good now?"

"Mhm," I managed and smiled, but I was really wondering if this was better for him, too. That was the whole reason I'd suggested it, after all. And you know, being this close to him was nothing short of a miracle... Although I worried he was unhappy, I guessed he probably wouldn't have went along with it unless he was at least _okay_ with it... right?

"Good." he said, and that ended our chat for a while, which was honestly a lot more than I could've hoped for. We walked, and walked, and walked together, passing by the endless forest on either side of us and listening to the various conversations that were going on, and I couldn't help but feel awash with a little bit of pep and a bunch of contentment. Maybe I shouldn't have been so excited, -because I'm sure if anyone had looked as pathetic as I did before he came along, he would've done the same thing for them- but I couldn't help it! Even though he was tense for most of the time we trekked along, I couldn't find it in me to push passed the butterflies fluttering from my stomach to my chest, to feel like it shouldnt've been happening. And maybe... maybe that was a little daring to say, but I felt that the beam plastered to my face belonged there, and for good reason.

So I soaked up as much of the moment as I could before a frozen stick on the ground decided it was tired of waiting for me to trip, and attempted to do the honors itself. I couldn't really feel my feet very much, but I felt enough to know that I was about to face-plant. It was like I had forgotten Gaius and I were nuzzled into his cloak like a pair in a three-legged race or something, because I was not anticipating a strong grip on waist hoist me back to stability.

"Crivens, girl," he said, readjusting the cloth around his shoulders and eyeing me. "I'm beginning to think I really should carry you, everywhere."

"Oh gods." I could just picture him all exhausted and heaving, flopped on the ground, gasping like a fish out of water and sweating like a hog from my weight with me just perched there on top of him. "I would break your back before you took two steps!"

"Wh-what?" He chuckled, and leaned into me playfully. I was seriously afraid of losing my balance again, but I just tightened my grip on the material that was clenched in my fist. "You serious? 'Cause I could probably lift like, twelve of you if I felt like it."

"That'd be impossible." Twelve Sumias? Gods, the world would explode if there were that many of me. "Unless you were okay with breaking every bone in your body, that is."

"You calling me weak?" He raised an eyebrow and I watched his breaths turn into little clouds as soon as they reached the outside air. "I drink my milk, thank you."

"No, I'm calling me a pain in the butt to carry." He paused for the briefest of moments, before a devious, smug smile shimmied onto his face.

"...Want me to show you how easy it is?" I knew he saw my eyes widen at the just the idea, but when he actually acted like he was about to grab my waist again and laughed at my reaction, I nearly died of embarrassment. "I would, but I don't want to show your fanny to your pals. Unless of course... you _want_ me to."

"No! Please..."

"Then put some pants on one of these days and let me cart you around camp or something."

_Gods... _was my dress really that short? Did he get the wrong impression because of it? I shook my head and tried to rid my mind of those thoughts so I could reply with something that was hopefully witty and win my case, but only came up with more or less the same thing as before.

"But then you'd have strained muscles and lose your mobility for the next fight-"

"-Just sounds to me like you're asking for proof."

"N-no!" I shook my head and buried my face in the cloth to hide my cheeks and cover my nose, but made sure to peek up towards him with my eyebrows furrowed. I got a snowflake or six in my eyes, but to me, it was worth it; more of that charming face, creased in places that pointed to a fine-toothed smile, his eyes, that shifted ever-so-slightly as he studied me, and his pearly skin against the snow... Gosh, I wasn't sure I'd seen anyone who looked like him before...

"More chocolate on my face, or what?" he started, mouth twitching. "Or are you stunned by how much of a stud I am-"

"Hey, Gaius!" Chrom called. He was walking backwards at the front of the Shepherds with Rorie's arm in his and staring our way with his bright cerulean eyes. Phew, that was close... and boy was I glad I didn't have to reply to his question! I liked to think I was an honest person, so if he really meant to ask me, I'd probably sound like a bumbling fool and spit out the truth and he'd just stop talking to me altogether. "Could you spare a minute and come here?"

I could hear a little trace of discomfort in the Captain's voice, and I wondered why that was. Not that there was any reason to worry, but the nagging voice in the back of my mind told me I should anticipate _something_. It seemed like the same sort of thought passed by Gaius's smooth face as well, because for a second, his eyes narrowed. That also could have been because of the white fluffs collecting on his lids, but when the chewing on his sucker stick started to accelerate, I thought it must have been anxiety-related.

"Sure thing, Blue," he replied, and glanced down at me. "try not to biff it again while I'm gone, alright?"

"Sure." I said, but I could never make any promises. He ruffled the top of my hair and my bangs, leaving me in awe at the action and springing forwards; carefully weaving in between Frederick and Donnel, and passing by Kellam and Panne. When he reached Chrom, he threw an arm around his shoulder, and Chrom reciprocated with a large smile. I picked up his part of the cloak and gathered it in my arms with my own, and kept on.

For the time Gaius was there with them, it was hard not to gawk at the winter wonderland this path to Ferox had become. Even though we'd been in it for hours and hours and hours, the farther we walked along, the more new, and still, and lovely each area we passed, was. The snow was drifting down at a steady pace now, showering the trees and the footsteps we had made on the trail and the moon was guiding our way. I stuck my tongue out to try and catch a few snowflakes, but the little icy chills seemed to dust every inch of my face _except_ where I was aiming to get them to go.

So instead, I wiped my eyelids and cheeks free of the droplets, blew into my hands to warm them, and stared down at the indents in the snow we'd made with our shoes. I placed one foot inside of a larger print, and then tried to follow where they went, but the strides were too long and I ended up all wobbly. I felt like prancing or skipping like my heart was, but if I couldn't even stretch out my steps and copy the prints in the snow, there was no way either of those were possible.

It looked like Sully had actually given in and started a conversation with Virion, and I could see a small, jokey grin on her face. And then she punched his arm. He clutched it like he'd been shot by one of his own arrows, and she just laughed a big ol' "HAR!"

I gave a bit of focus on what Lissa and Maribelle were talking about, and I think it had something to do with hosiery, but I could have been wrong. Miriel was telling Cory about some... stuff I had to think too much about to actually get, and Vaike was flexing his arms and muttering a bit about how if he could "travel shirtless in this weather, then so could everyone else, if we weren't wusses." I didn't know about anyone else, but I was fine being a wuss if it meant that I could avoid freezing.

It was then that I watched Gaius strut towards me with a weak smile and his hands behind his head. My heart raced as he approached, but his expression made me fearful. I gave him my attention and he opened his mouth like he was about ready to speak, but clamped it shut and instead focused on brushing the frozen powder from the front of his cloak.

"So listen," he muttered blankly. "...I've gotta job to do."

"Oh, um... what's-"

"It's a recon mission. Nothing big," he replied, simply. I had no idea what that meant, but I nodded like I did. "just means I've gotta scram in a few."

"...Alone?"

"Gods, what is it with you people...?" I was a bit taken aback by this because he was a little edgy, but thankfully it fizzled away quickly and his features softened. "Yes, alone."

"Will you be okay?" It wasn't often that Chrom would send someone out to do work, by themselves. Watching camp at night was one thing because we were always together, but who knew where Gaius was going. I mean, I was sure he did, but it worried me that he was heading off to wherever with no one to watch his back or help him if he got in trouble... my breath caught at the thought of it.

"You worried?" he raised an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth curved upwards just a tiny bit. "'cause you and Blue've got the same face going on."

"When will you be back?"

"I'm on a strict three-day timeline. If I'm a no-show after that, I probably cashed in all my sweets a little early," he paused and seemed like he was enjoying my expressions shifting from grim, to fearful. "but don't stress it. Done this plenty of times before."

"Just... be careful." I said. I frowned as I returned his cloak to him, and he gave me a sucker, telling me it was 'incentive to keep myself from tripping' while he was away. He situated himself for a minute and made sure he had everything on him before supplying me with one last hard stare and a smirk, and taking off into the woods nearby. My heart ached, watching him go, but it just made me absolutely certain of one thing: I wasn't going to eat this sucker until I knew for sure that he was safe and sound.

* * *

**Phew, okie! :3**

**I seriously hope that was a bit more to your liking and a little less disappointing to you, because if not, Y DU I DU?! xD LIKE, EMBARAZZING! :3**

**Anyway, MOAR FLUFF EAT IT! MAKE FLUFF ANGELS IN THE FLUFF AND THEN MAKE A FLUFFBALL AND HAVE A FLUFFBALL FIGHT AND BUILD A FLUFFMAN AND OMG OKAY I'M STOPPING NOW. Fluff-gloo. **

**Right, but yeah! So there's a bit of fluff, a bit of bantering (like last time, more or less), G/S interactions, and A SECRET MISSION! :3 **

**Also, I thought you might like to know that I've already got a pretty durn good head start on chapter nine, and that should be up soon! Soon as in ALMOST 100% the next two weeks. HOPEFULLY.**

**But with that said, I'm loosening up my deadlines per chapter a little bit. I just hate that if you guys really do like this story and stuff, I disappoint you by giving you earlier update times than I can actually comply with. ;w; Don't get me wrong, I'd SO LOVE to get a chapter done per week, if I could, but with work eating most of my life, shower because work is dirty, eating, and sleeping when I can, it isn't as possible as I wish it was. **

**STILL, I shall not be deterred a three week max update! :3 Two-weeks is ideal, but three weeks is more likely. I'm not sure what the dickens happened with this last one. HOPEFULLY IT IS A MINORITY AND NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.**

**Wrapping up, if you've ever got any questions, comments, concerns, insults to hurl at me, internet punches to mah faec, feel like fangirling, or just wanna chat it up with someone new, I'm always excited to receive reviews and/pm's and meet new people! :D**

**Thank you so much, guys! You really will never know how diddly-darn much all of your support, kind words of encouragement, and PATIENCE mean to me! You're awesome and I love you and hope you're having a fantastic day! :3**

**:)**


End file.
